A Domestic Adventure
by benedictcabagepatch
Summary: Tentoo and Rose Tyler are about to embark on their greatest and scariest adventure yet: the domestic life. Being stuck in Pete's world will be an adjustment, to say the least, to the new human Doctor, and for Rose as well. This story will be rife with apartment hunting, clothes shopping, and perhaps some wedding bells? Reviews welcome!
1. Chapter 1

_About this story: This takes place immediately after Journey's End. Rose Tyler, Jackie Tyler, and Tentoo (Ten Duplicate, Ten 2.0, etc.), are standing on the beach in Darlig Ulv Stranden, Norway. I welcome reviews and suggestions! This is just a story to fill the whole this sailing ship left in my fangirl heart. Hopefully you enjoy. I'll be adding new chapters sporadically, but often!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to BBC and Doctor who._

* * *

I watch the blue box fade away, and my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. _He didn't even say goodbye_, I think to myself, my eyes stinging, _He couldn't even say that much_.

The Doctor, the _other_ Doctor, takes my hand. I turn to him, and his eyes are full of sincerity, and insecurity. He wants to be strong, for me, but he's just as lost as I am. I tighten my grip on his hand.

"Well, then," He glances at Jackie and back to me, "Allons-y?"

A laugh escapes me, and I can't help but give him a smile. I nod, not trusting my voice, and we walk the stretch of beach hand in hand. We reach Mum, who has pulled out her cell phone to call Pete.

"This is just perfect," Jackie begins, "Stuck in the middle of bloody Norway! That Doctor couldn't have put us just a few miles closer to home?"

"This happens to be where the whole through the universes ended up being, Jackie. There isn't any other place the TARDIS would've been able to land on this plane," The Doctor answered. "At least we're all together, eh? And all the trouble's behind us, we can just move forward."

"Forward to a warm hotel room," Jackie says, "After I'm done with Pete I'll call—Oh, hello sweetie! How's mommy's big boy? Is daddy there?" She plugs her free ear, the telephone having her full attention. Mum starts walking as she talks, and the Doctor and I follow.

"She must have caught Tony," I explain to the man beside me, although he hasn't asked. I feel weird not saying anything, but I like the feel of his hand in mine. His brown eyes find mine and they're full of questions that I don't want to answer yet. "Tony's four now. Very sweet, and full of the Tyler spunk. You know how little boys are," I stop talking as we begin climbing the bluff. Mum is ahead, still chattering away. Hopefully Pete will secure us some transport home.

The Doctor releases my hand as we reach the top and shoves his hands in his pockets. He says nothing, and I emulate his response. We all stand in a clearing at the top of the bluff, and I can see the road, with cars driving lazily past, just a few hundred meters ahead.

Mum steps closer to us and covers the phone for a moment, "We're going to be picked up right up here. Your father's got it all taken care of; two rooms at the hotel for tonight and a private zeppelin to fly us back early in the morning. Oh, sorry dear, what was that?" Her phone conversation grips her again, and she continues talking to Pete as she leads the way up to the road.

We follow her, the Doctor and I. We are silent, and separate, but as we walk our shoulders occasionally brush, and each time they do my heart skips a beat.

I'm trying very hard not to think too much about what has just happened to all of us. I'll have plenty of time to work it out when we get back, I'm sure. Plenty of time to scream, and cry, and curse the world. But I can't break down just yet. I still have a reason to be strong. I glance at the Doctor to read his expression. He is stoic and silent, ever the oncoming storm. We reach the road (Mum still chattering on the phone, now with Tony I suspect), and continue to stand in silence.

Until it is too much and I have to ask; "What're you thinking about?"

"I'm homeless."

I am taken aback at his train of thought. He doesn't look at me, but he elaborates; "For nine hundred years the TARDIS has been my…everything. Now I'll have to live like a regular human, I suppose, without any psychic paper or anything. I don't even have my screwdriver!" His eyes find mine, and he has a sad smile on his face, "What kind of a Doctor am I?"

_Maybe I should say something_, but my mind is a blank, but he's looking at me, so I make something up; "Maybe we'll be able to make you a new sonic? There's bound to be enough alien junk within Torchwood that we'll be able to scrap something together," His eyes wander to the road in thought, but I take his hand because something else has come to me, "That TARDIS choral will grow in no time, you'll see. This place, this world, it could be a kind of home."

A spark flares in his eyes, but before he can speak Mum interjects—"There's the car!"—and the Doctor shakes it off. The driver pulls up beside us, and Mum slides in first. I slide into the middle, and the Doctor sits beside me and shuts the door. Our driver heads to our hotel, and I sit with my arm linked with my Mum's. The Doctor's hand sits on the seat between us, but I don't reach for it. We ride in silence.

* * *

Mum plops down on her side of the bed closest to the window. "I'm just gonna sit down for a mo' sweetie, then we'll all go down for dinner," she claimed, but five minutes later not even a freight train could've woken her up.

I take a copy of our room key and head out into the hotel hall to fetch the Doctor. His room is just beside ours, and I give a few knocks to announce myself. He yells something intelligible before opening the door. His hair stands on end, and the blue suit looks a bit rumbled, but his smile is wide as he looks down at me, "Hello, there."

I grin back at him, "Hello yourself."

He glances down the hall and back to me, "Jackie isn't hungry?"

"She probably is, but she fell asleep," I say. We laugh and the Doctor rolls his eyes. "What is it?"

"Nothing, just," He steps out of his room and shuts the door, "Your Mum. Good old Jackie Tyler. Always reliable to be totally and completely unpredictable. And yet she still manages to do the thing you thought she would do all along; it's a gift really."

"Alright, enough of that," I start off walking and he follows. He reaches for my hand, but this time I don't let him take it, and cross my arms instead. We take the stairs down to the lobby, and from there enter the dining room. It is modest in size, and nowhere near maximum capacity. We are seated and left to contemplate our orders.

The Doctor reads the menu through, forwards and back, but I can't shake the sudden ill feeling I have in my stomach. Maybe it's all too much, but I can't even fathom eating a single thing. I stare around the room, and through the windows towards the dark evening sky instead of choosing an entrée.

"They serve chips."

"Wotcha?" I turn back to my guest. The Doctor. He's looking up from the menu with interest in his eyes, and maybe a tad bit of mischief in his gaze. "What was that?" I question.

"Chips." He sets the menu aside and folds his hands in front of him, "You remember the, uh, first time we had chips together?"

A tiny grin finds my lips. "Of course," I sigh, my eyes wandering from his, to the table, to the floor, back to his eyes, then they land on my hands. I feel wrong, and awkward. Things have never _ever_ been like that with the Doctor, and yet here it was, happening. I remember quite vividly the first time we ate chips. He had a different face then, but the same knowing look in his eyes. His smile was just as bright, and his laugh just as contagious. _Our first date_, I remember calling it once. The very first.

He's waiting for me to say something, but I don't want to say anything. So I stay silent as the waiter comes back around for our orders.

"Just a glass of water for me, thanks," The Doctor hands over his menu and sits back, staring down at his lap.

"And for you, Miss?" The young boy asks gently.

I stare over at him for a moment; at the Doctor. I can see some of what I'm feeling echoed on his face. The same confused and lost and scared expression is present, and so I make a decision right then and there; "We're gonna have your finest serving of chips, if you would be so kind," I hand the waiter my menu and turn back to the Doctor with a small smile, "In memory of our first date."

"Very good. And would you like anything to drink?"

"Water for me, thanks," I say absently, but I'm not paying attention to the bloody waiter anymore. I'm in awe at the look of pure wonder on the Doctor's face. I can only imagine my face reflects the same look back at him.

He reaches across the table for my hand, and I grasp his extremely too tight. He doesn't seem to mind a bit.

"This next adventure is going to get a little domestic, isn't it?" He jokes, squeezing my hand. I nod and roll my eyes as he continues to say, "I don't mind being stuck here, you know. With you, it's not so bad."

I nod slowly and my smile grows to cover my face, "There's a lot we have to figure out, but I think you and me will do just fine. You reckon?"

"Oh, yes," His voice is rough but his smile is broad and inviting. I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, the other Doctor, the fully Time Lord one, was doing us a favor. For both me and this human Doctor. I think that we might just be exactly what the other needed.

* * *

_*This is the end of chapter one. I'll probably come back and edit this later, but until then this is it. I'll be updating this story with more chapters later on. Feel free to review!_

_** EDIT: Made Jackie talk about a private zeppelin instead of a private jet, because in Pete's world zeppelin's took off and are more common than airplanes! Next update will be a new chapter :D_


	2. Chapter 2

_About this story: Here is the second chapter! We open the morning after Tentoo's and Rose's new first date. I welcome reviews and suggestions! This is just a story to fill the whole this sailing ship left in my fangirl heart. Hopefully you enjoy. I'll be adding new chapters sporadically, but often!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to BBC and Doctor Who._

* * *

Early the next morning I turn over in the hotel bed to find Mum, but she isn't there. I spring up and look around the darkened room, and suddenly the light flips on, blinding me.

"Wonderful, you're awake," Jackie Tyler is fully dressed and standing in the little bathroom at the foot of the bed, "I wanted you to get as much rest as you could. Now get up and dressed, we're all leaving in thirty minutes. I'll go check the Doctor and we can all go down for breakfast."

"Love you, Mum," I mumble as the door shuts. I tumble out of bed and stretch before throwing my jeans back on. After I run my fingers through my hair in an attempt to make it somewhat presentable, I sling my jacket across my arm and open the door.

Mum and the Doctor are dressed and ready, standing outside. "Hiya," the Doctor pips out, a bit too cheery for 5am.

"Are we all ready, then?" I ask and Mum nods, so I shut the hotel room door and lead the way down the hall.

We all head for the dining room, which is all but empty, excluding the staff. Each of us grab a scone and cuppa tea, then sit and wait for our car to arrive and take us to the airport.

"Everyone sleep alright?" The Doctor asks, sipping his tea slowly, and taking huge bites of his food.

"I slept all night," Jackie states, "And it was glorious. Although, I would've liked to have had a bite before I conked out," the last is directed at me. Her tone is teasing, but I answer her seriously.

"Mum, I tried to wake you, but you were all but dead to the world the moment your head hit the pillow," I smile, all good nature, and pat her shoulder, "Don't worry. The Doctor and I ate some chips just for you," I turn to the Doctor, "And how was your night?"

He smiles and shrugs, "Well, I slept off and on. I'm not used to this human physiology yet. It'll probably take a while until I'm fully acclimated. I trust you slept well, Rose."

"Yes, I did, thank you." I drink a little tea before Mum asks;

"Well, you both came down for dinner, right? How was it?"

After our waiter brought our chips, the Doctor and I took turns telling stories about our time apart. Just the light, fluffy stuff; we are saving the heavier bits for a time when it's just the two of us. At least I am. When we walked back up to our rooms, the Doctor had leaned down and kissed my cheek very sweetly, before stepping through his door.

I glance at the Doctor, and he smiles over at me. I answer Mum; "We had some dinner, but neither of us could focus much, so it was an early night. Trust, you didn't miss any excitement."

"Oh, Lord, if I could miss every bit of excitement from now on, it wouldn't be soon enough. Let me tell you," Jackie rolls her eyes and finishes her scone before continuing, "This girl right here has been running all over Europe working for Torchwood. You can't get her to bloody sit still. Not even on holidays! And then, she's always running into trouble, getting hurt, going to _the hospital_," I shoot my mother an angry glance, "Well it's the truth! Never a broken bone in your life until the last five years," She turns to the Doctor, "She dislocated her right shoulder twice. And don't get me started on all the _other_ injuries—"

"Then _don't_, _Mum_."

My voice is curt, and I can tell I've hurt Mum's feelings, but I don't want to go through all of that right now. I finish my tea and refuse to look at anyone.

"Mrs. Tyler, your car is here."

Mum stands and gathers her things and bee-lines straight for the door. I stand, grab my jacket, and watch the Doctor gather his things. He's slung his blue suit coat over his arm, and his pants and maroon shirt look even more rumpled than last night. I reach for his hand, and he takes mine gratefully.

"I didn't mean to make her upset," I say in a hush, "But I want to tell you about all that later. Alright?"

"Yes. Rose, I completely understand. There are things you need to know about what happened to me, too, but I agree. Now isn't the time." He leads us out of the dining room, through the lobby, and outside. The sun is beginning to rise, and a black car sits in the carport, waiting. I climb in first and sit beside Mum, taking her hand.

She turns to me, her expression a mix of annoyance and disgruntled acceptance. "I know you don't like hearing about the last few years. I know it's hard for you," She shifts her gaze as the Doctor slides into the car beside me, looks back at me and lowers her voice, "But you should know it's hard for me, too."

My hand squeezes hers in an attempt to comfort her. "I do know, Mum. I'm sorry." There's a lot more I'd like to say on the subject, but it's too early. And I'm too tired to fight or form full sentences, so I lean my head on her shoulder, and close my eyes.

The Doctor's hand finds my free one, and he laces our fingers together on the seat between us. I smile with my eyes closed and tighten my grip on him. His thumb traces circles on the back of my hand, and I feel myself lulling to sleep. For the first time in years, the two most important people in my life are holding my hands beside me. I can't remember the last time I felt so safe.

* * *

I jolt awake as the car comes to a halt, and look out the window to see the airport just outside the car doors. We all pile out of the car and I take the Doctor's hand again as we make our way to check-in. The zeppelin airline is owned by Torchwood, and since Pete is now the head director it makes our lack of identification simply a wave of the hand. We are escorted through security, through the airport, and to an empty terminal where a small passenger zeppelin sits waiting at the gate.

We board, walk down the hall to the back compartment and pile in. There are two bench seats on the interior walls. Mum plops down on one and stretches her feet out on the cushion, "We won't be in the air too long," she says as the Doctor and I sit on the opposite bench, "Have you ever ridden in a zeppelin before, Doctor?"

Before the Doctor can answer, we feel the ground shift, and we all look out the window to see the world start to fall away, as we are lifted into the air. A computer screen beside the cabin door outlines our flight plane, and informs us the flight should only be one hour and thirty minutes.

Mum settles into her seat and smiles at the Doctor and repeats her question, "Ever rode in a zeppelin, Doctor?"

He nods slowly, "Yes, yes. Only once, and it was nothing like this. This one is brilliant, very state of the art, isn't it? I'd love to get a look at the main controls, if I could? Maybe later?"

"Dad is an executive owner of this particular zeppelin airline," I begin telling him, "And we travel via zeppelin all the time. You'll have loads of chances to poke about."

The Doctor smiles at me broadly, "You know how much I like poking about."

"Oi," Jackie raises her eyebrows, "I don't want to hear nothing about any poking going on, alright? I always figured you two were…well, I don't want to hear. Mummy ears, remember?"

"Oh, Lord, Mum!" I feel my face flush as I rush to correct her, "No, no. The Doctor and I never…"I chance a glance at him, but he's looking up at the ceiling, so I push forward, "_We've never had sex, Mum!_"

"Good heavens, Rose!"

"Well! I don't want you thinking we have. When we travelled together it was as _friends_, Mum. That's it!"

Mum looks at me like I'm daft, "Rose. For Pete's sake, you _love him_. You mean to tell me you two were just _friends_ all those times you left me? You never, I don't know, tried it out? Gave him a go?"

"Mum! _Please!_"

"Yes, _please_ Jackie," The Doctor chimes in, his voice higher pitched with nervous energy, "This isn't a conversation I'd like to present for, if you don't mind."

Jackie rolls her eyes but graciously accepts our protests, "Oh, alright."

Some time passes as we fly through the air, and none of us say much for about twenty minutes, but I can tell something is eating away at Mum, and I begin to wonder how long it will take her to break the silence.

As if she is capable of reading minds, I no sooner think about her need to question things, and she's started talking; "Well, Doctor, I know you're nervous about all of this human business, but I was just wondering, though, how does it all work? I mean, obviously, you're _you_, and the other Doctor is you as well. But there can't be _two_ people who are exactly the same right?"

I sit back to watch the Doctor's face, because this is one of the things I'd wanted to talk with him about as well. He fishes for answers, finds them, and begins talking a million miles per second; "Well, I was created from a piece of myself that had been cut off during the battle with the Sycorax (my handy hand, you remember that, right Jackie?), but I wasn't created intentionally. You see, I, er, well, the _other_ Doctor was about to regenerate, but I, _he_, didn't really need to. It's terrible business, regeneration. You see, the Doctor's essence still lives on, but it's almost like you die, and a completely different man walks away with your memories. So to avoid it, he used the spare hand to absorb the excess energy.

"But Donna Noble, my good friend Donna, was in trouble. Grave, dangerous trouble and I was the only one that could save her. When she reached out for the spare hand, something happened. Something wonderful. There was a human-Time Lord metacrisis. The first one in all of the existence of the cosmos," He pauses for breathe, and to make sure he hasn't lost any of us. Mum's brow is furrowed, but she waves for him to continue, "And I was, well, born is a good word, I suppose. I was born half-human, half-Time Lord. Like I said on the beach, I have the Doctor's mind. Donna also got a bit of Time-Lord DNA as well in the transfer, and, subsequently, my human DNA comes directly from Donna. I guess," His nose scrunches a little, "She's kind of like my…_mother_.

"But, to get back to the point; until the metacrisis, I _was_ the Doctor. 100% Time Lord, no question. The Oncoming Storm, the Master of Time and Space. And quite a hit with the ladies," He winks at me and presses on, "When the metacrisis happened, when Donna and I shared DNA, and when I was born from excess regeneration energy, the Doctor and I split into two separate people. We have the same memories, up until the point where his conscious split into my conscious. So, while we are the same man, the fact that I am human, and he is fully Time Lord, is what makes us completely different," His eyebrows knit together, his eyes full of worry and anxiety, as he looks from Mum to me, "I hope that isn't too confusing."

Mum raises a hand and asks; "So, you're you, but, because you're part human and can't regenerate anymore, you're _not_ you?"

"Precisely," The Doctor grins at her, "That's me. Me, but not me. Very accurate description, Jackie, top notch."

"I need a drink," Mum mumbles, standing and exiting our cabin to hunt down a stewardess.

The Doctor's eyes meet mine. "Was it something I said?"

I smile in a reassuring way, "It's just an awful lot to take in, is all. You being you, but not being you. She needs a moment to process, but she'll be fine."

The Doctor grabs my hand and turns to me, his knee brushing mine, "And for you? Is it too much for you?"

Worry is etched into the lines of his face, and I can't stand it. I reach up and cup his cheek in my palm. "It is a lot. But I'll be fine. Really," I run my thumb along his cheekbone before I let my hand drop, "I just need you to continue being here beside me. As long as you're here, I can do anything."

"I don't plan on going anywhere." The hand that isn't gripping mine in a vice reaches for me. I sit completely still, my eyes locked on his, as he brushes my hair behind my ear. His hand rests against the side of my face, and his expression softens into an easy smile. "Rose"—

The door slides open abruptly, and the Doctor and I spring apart. Mum enters with a glass of wine in hand, and smiles at us, "I can't get enough of people in this universe. They all treat me like the Queen when they hear I'm Pete's wife." She shuts the door and sits down across from us again and sips her drink quietly.

The Doctor's hand still has mine captured, but I don't mind in the least. He begins tracing circles into my hand again, and I sigh quietly and stare up at his face. He is staring out of the window, at the clouds and the ocean below us. His eyes are full and bright, and I want to know every thought that passes through him, but I don't want to break this perfect, peaceful moment. So I bite my lip, scoot closer to him, and take our hands into my lap. He tightens his grip, and leans into me, but he continues staring out the window. I wonder what he sees, but again I don't speak. I simply turn my gaze to the clouds, and try to imagine what this new life will have for us.

* * *

_*Alright! There is chapter two! I hope you like it. Cheers to the reviews I've gotten from the last chapter. I hope you continue enjoying what I've got here. More is on the way, I promise. Reviews and suggestions welcome! Next chapter is on it's way :D_


	3. Chapter 3

_About this story: Chapter 3 is here! This one came a little more quickly than the others. We open where we left off: Rose, Jackie, and the Doctor have landed in London. _

_I welcome reviews and suggestions! This is just a story to fill the whole this sailing ship left in my fangirl heart. Hopefully you enjoy. I'll be adding new chapters sporadically, but often!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to BBC and Doctor Who._

* * *

Our zeppelin lands at the London airport and our party makes it off the aircraft, through the terminal, and out into the baggage claim. Mum has her arm wrapped around the Doctor's as she guides us forward through the airport. She's looking desperately for Dad and Tony, and when she spots them she leaves the Doctor and I in the dust and takes up in a run.

"_Mummy!_" I hear a tiny voice call, and watch as Mum scoops up the little boy with blonde hair and holds him tight. Dad wraps his arms around them both, squeezing Mum tightly to him.

I leave the Doctor's side to join in on the hugs. Dad opens his arms to envelope me, and I reach around Mum to squeeze Tony. We all stand there for a moment in each other's arms before we break apart. My eyes are a bit misty, but I blink the moisture away and turn to the Doctor just as Dad grabs him up into a bear hug.

"Doctor!" Dad pulls away to hold the Doctor at arm's length, "Doctor, thank you. Thank you so much. You brought them both back to me. Thank you," Dad smiles and forces another hug before he sets the Doctor free once more.

I catch the Doctor's eye, and he looks incredibly surprised, but he grins at me broadly.

"Alright everyone," Dad calls us to attention, "Let's all pile in the car and take this party back home, shall we?"

The drive isn't long as we pull into the Tyler Family Estates. The mansion comes into view and Dad parks in the driveway. Mum, Dad, and Tony rush out of the car and into the house, eager for Mum's regaling stories, and whatever Fredrick the Chief has prepared for our rather late lunch.

I stand outside the doors, half waiting for the Doctor, and half avoiding stepping through. The man I await comes up beside me and takes my hand.

"Are we going in, then?" He asks, his voice gentle, "Or is this as far as we go?"

"Just give me a mo' to just…breathe," I close my eyes and squeeze his hand. "I didn't think I'd be returning here when I left. I figured you'd…that he'd want me to…" I take a shaky breath, "just give me a mo.'"

The Doctor says nothing but the silence is reassuring. I gather my strength, open my eyes, and push through the doors. I hang my coat in the closet, and take the Doctor's suit top and hang it as well. When I close the closet I hear the pitter-patter of tiny trainers on tile floor, and prepare for the oncoming storm that is my little brother.

"Rose!" Tony rushes up to me. I scoop him up in my arms and hold him tight. His little face scrunches in determination, his light eyes full of accusation, "Rose, I missed you!"

"Oh, I missed you too, Tony," I kiss his cheek a few hundred times before he pushes out of my arms in disgust. "You don't want my kisses?"

"They make me all slimy," He complains as he heads out of the parlor and back into the dining room. I wave the Doctor to follow and we walk through the dining room into the kitchen. Everyone sits at the counter on bar stools.

Tony haphazardly climbs a stool between Mum and Dad. I sit on the other side of Dad, and pat the seat beside me for the Doctor. The Doctor's shoulder brushes against me as he slips onto the stool.

"So, what's for supper?" The Doctor asks the general collection.

"Yeah, I'm famished," I put in, sending a little wink in the Doctor's direction.

Frederick, our brilliant chief, slides two plates full of lasagna across the counter to us, "Here you are. Be careful, it's incredibly hot."

"Bless you, Freddy," I moan as I take my first piping hot bite, "This is perfection."

The Doctor begins shoveling bites into his open maw with barely a breath between bites. Frederick passes out a few glasses of water, and when the Doctor gets his hands on it he pauses eating to chug the entirety of the glass before he continues with his meal.

I'm staring at him in interest, when Dad says, "Oi, don't eat the plate now, eh, Doctor?"

The Doctor pauses mid-chew to see all of us watching him. "I, uh," He swallows loudly, "I'm really hungry."

Tony giggles and Mum scoffs into her food. Dad grins at the Doctor, and raises his eyebrows at me before he continues with his meal.

I turn back to the Doctor, who is scraping the sauce off his plate with his fork and licking it clean. "We could have eaten on our flight," I murmur, taking another heaping bite of lasagna.

"I wasn't hungry on the flight," He answers, licking his lips, "I wasn't hungry until I smelled it. This is absolutely delectable. I don't think I've ever had lasagna that has tasted so good. And that water! Did you fish it from the clearest spring water?"

Fredrick raises his brow, "That was water from the tap."

"We do have a decent filter," Mum ads, "you're must be happy to have time for a full meal, is all."

"Right you are, Jackie," The Doctor agrees, "It's been quite a long time since I could sit down and appreciate a real meal."

I finish my plate, stand, and gather mine and the Doctor's dishes. I walk around the counter and place them in the sink, but when I reach for the sponge Frederick all but slaps my hand.

"Alright, now. I know you like doing things, but really, Rose," Frederick raises his eyebrows at me, "Let me do my own job."

"Alright, alright," I surrender and step away from the sink, a smile playing on my lips, "Forgive the intrusion."

"Why don't we head to the living room?" Dad suggests, standing and placing a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, "I'd like to hear all about your adventure."

* * *

The Doctor retells the story of how we saved the planet and were dropped off here once more. He also describes to Dad again how he and the _other_ Doctor are different, but the same. Dad seems to understand and take it better than I would have thought. He's been in enough impossible scenarios, especially with the Doctor, that maybe a half-human metacrisis isn't really too much to swallow.

I leave most of the talking to the Doctor. I'm still coming to grips with everything that happened myself and I don't know if I can recall any of it without crying, to be honest. I had jumped through the dimension cannon thinking I would never return. I saved the earth with the Doctor in the Tardis all the while thinking I was finally home.

As the Doctor's tale comes to its conclusion, with the three of us stranded in Norway, Dad sits quiet for a moment in thought. He seems to have a question, but he's holding back asking. I catch his eye and nod encouragement for him to go ahead, the floor was his.

"Okay, Doctor," Dad leans forward on the couch, "Now you're here with all of us in this universe. Will you be able to build another Tardis? Or was that ability lost with your peoples on Gallifrey?"

"Oh," The Doctor reaches into his trouser pocket, and pulls out the tiny Tardis choral, "This is the last gift the other Doctor was able to give me. A piece of Tardis choral. With this I'll be able to grow my own Tardis, one that will be entirely acclimated and accustomed to the turn of this universe and its timelines. Donna was able to work out how to accelerate its growth pattern, but it will still take a few years for it to mature," the choral finds its way back into the Doctor's pocket. He continues saying, "Until it's ready, I'll be living life as normally and domestically as I can."

Mum speaks up from beside Dad, "And we'll be here to help you. You are welcome in our home for as long as you like. You could look at getting a job at Torchwood, or some other mundane, turn of the mill work if you prefer. Whatever will make you happy, Doctor."

"Thank you, Jackie, Pete. I really appreciate that," The Doctor's smile is contagious, and soon we are all grinning widely at one another.

Dad stands and stretches before he says to me; "Rose. It might be time to show the Doctor to the spare room in the east wing. I'll go and fetch some extra clothes for him, after I go finish up some work I have in the den."

I slide off the couch and reach for the Doctor's hand. He smiles, takes my hand, and follows me out of the sitting room, up the stairs, and on towards the east wing.

"Jackie and Pete are great people," The Doctor observes, "I can't believe they'd let me impose on them. It's very sweet."

"You seem a tad more empathetic than you used to be," I observe. My voice is sharper than I intend, and the Doctor's eyebrows rise in worry. I don't say anything, but lead him further down the hall. When we reach the spare room, I pull us inside and shut the door securely behind us.

I drop his hand and wring my fingers together, feeling awkward again. The Doctor stands in the middle of the room, looking at what is to be his new home. The room is modest in size, but with its own private powder room. There is a desk and lamp, a bed under the window, and a simple wardrobe.

He turns to face me, and opens his mouth to speak, but I interrupt him rudely—"Let me get you some fresh sheets," I rush passed him and open the bottom drawer to the wardrobe, "It's been ages since they've been changed. You never know, you could be allergic to dust now," I force a chuckle, avoid his eye, and begin turning down the bed.

"You'll like it here," I say loudly, trying to keep us from the subject I'm sure he wants to talk about, "It's a really nice universe. I've done a bit of traveling, and the countries here are very similar to the ones back in the other universe. There are slight differences, though I'm sure you can imagine, of course," I toss the heap of dirty laundry to the floor, and begin fitting the new sheet as I speak, "We can travel around if you'd like. You'd probably like to see everything for yourself. Those zeppelins are a nice way to travel. You would love to see all of the different places you can get to via zeppelin that we couldn't on airplanes. They're a bit slower, but they don't need such extensive landing pads, so landing them atop mountains is no problem at all!" My voice is rising in pitch, but I ignore it. I fluff his pillows roughly, more accurately punching them viciously into place and then flopping them down on the bed. "I would love to show you all the new things this world has. It's really something, you know, a real treat"—

A light hand touches my elbow, and turns me slightly. I lift my face, surprised to feel tears rush out of my eyes. I try to blink them away, but more follow. I see the Doctor's face through the blur, and his expression is full of concern.

I reach for him as he reaches for me, and I can't hold it back any longer. I sob into his shirt, and pull him tightly to me in a hug full of emotion. He wraps his arms securely around my waist, and rests his head on my shoulder. My hands grip fistfuls of his shirt as I try to pull him closer. Close isn't close enough; I want him to fill the whole inside of my heart. I want to feel whole again, but I am afraid I never will.

"Rose," His voice murmurs against my shoulder, "Oh, my beautiful, wonderful Rose," I sob louder and close my eyes tight, desperate for his voice, needing to hear him speak, "You are the strongest woman I have ever met."

I shake my head against his chest in protest.

"_Yes. You. Are._" His voice is full of conviction, and he pulls me impossibly tighter to him, "You are, Rose. You are my everything. You have fought for so long, and I am so sorry…No. Sorry isn't a strong enough word, is it?" He lifts his head from my shoulder, and I feel his lips kiss the top of my head, "I want nothing more than to go back to that day when we were separated, and tell you all the things I could never say. I want to go back to the first time on that beach, and tell you the words I never did. Oh, Rose, I love you. I love you, and I'm so very sorry I wasn't here. You needed me, and I wasn't here," I pull away to look at him, and his eyes are full of moisture, "I'm a poor substitute, I know. But I do love you, Rose. I will try every day of my life to make it up to you. I will give you the life you deserve, and I will love you every second of it. If you'll have me."

"You couldn't help us being separated," I insist, my voice full of tears, "_You_ needed _me_. That's why I tried so hard to get back to you. That's why I fought so hard in this universe. I _knew_ you needed me. I could feel it in my heart," my hands grip at his collar, and I stare into his eyes, "I knew that _he_ needed me. The _other_ you. The…_real_ you."

His face falls, and his arms drop, but I clutch his shirt and hold him in place, "He still does. He'll be alone again, I know it. Maybe Donna will work out for a while, but what if something goes wrong? Who will be with him, then?"

"Rose…"

"Wait." I take a breath and try to get out what has been going on in my head since the Tardis faded away, "I never in a million years thought you were a possibility. I never thought I could have both the Doctor, and a _life partner_. Someone to grow old with, someone to have a future with," my eyes start to cloud, but I push through, "I thought I'd be spending my life on the Tardis, watching the Doctor regenerate and change, while I stayed the same. Worse, yet, while I grew older and came closer to death. It was a sad future, I'll admit it. It wasn't something I had dreamed of for myself," I take a shaky breath. "Maybe…maybe you were created _for me_. I know that's a selfish way of thinking about it, but maybe you were what the fates intended. Now I have the Doctor, _and_ a person who I can love and grow old with."

The Doctor's arms find their way to my hips, and his hands trail slowly around my waist and lace together.

I wipe my face with my hands and reach around his neck. "Now, I'm warning you. This isn't going to be easy for me. I'm going to have some low points, and some moments where you won't be what I need," I pull him closer, and he rests his forehead against mine, and my voice comes out as a whisper, "But there are going to a lot more times where you are going to be exactly what I need."

"Can I just say…that when _he_ left you here…with me…he thought he was giving you what you wanted," His eyes are enormous, we are so close they are all I can see, "And he knew he was giving me what I wanted."

I stare into his eyes, my lips part in anticipation, and I hold my breath.

The Doctor's lips brush mine as he whispers, "He gave me _you_."

And then we're kissing. My lips tug his, and his hands pull me close, and a fire inside of me starts to burn. Our kiss lengthens and I fit my body against his. My hands find his hair, and I marvel at how soft it is. He smells like airports and hotels, and the Tardis, and home. Our kiss ends, we breathe together, and a new kiss begins.

My hands find his face, and I love the rough feel of stubble on his chin, and I love the way his mouth opens and closes as he kisses me. I run my thumbs along his cheekbones, and suck on his bottom lip, and picture this being just one of the many, many kisses to come.

* * *

_**I hope you liked this one. Rose is just starting to work through some of her emotions, and I tried to make it as realistic as possible. I have a nice, long story arch planned for this story. Review if you can. I'd love to have some feedback on what you'd like to see in future chapters? I'm really excited about this. Onward we go!_


	4. Chapter 4

_About this story: Chapter 4 is in the POV of Tentoo. I wanted to take a break from Rose's inner monologue, and take a peak into the Doctor's mind. I'm a little nervous about this one, so let me know if it sounds believable, and if you have any suggestions to improve it. Also there's a lot of Tony Tyler in this chapter! He's so teeny and adorable :D_

_I welcome reviews and suggestions! This is just a story to fill the whole this sailing ship left in my fangirl heart. Hopefully you enjoy. I'll be adding new chapters sporadically, but often!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to BBC and Doctor Who._

* * *

My life has been filled with outstanding and unbelievably wonderful adventures. I've traveled forwards and backwards in Time at the drop of a hat. I have fought battles against creatures I didn't even know the name of, faced enemies with weapons I've never seen, and always I come out victorious. So many things I've been able to do, see, accomplish, and yet I still have not the slightest idea what I'm supposed to do now that I'm part-human.

Living the life of a Time Lord, and a Time Lord without any rules, meant I usually go running right back to the Tardis when things start to get too…_slow_. I've always hated taking the slow, _normal_ route through life. Now normal, slow, and somewhat _boring _is the only option I have. I'm stuck with nothing to do, and no one to save. Forced to sit on my arse and wait for…_something_ to happen.

I've been in Pete's World for round about two weeks now. I'm just starting to get the human routines down, but I'm not an expert or anything. Funny, you'd think with all the human companions I've had over the years, a bit of their habits might have rubbed off. Sadly, that's not the case.

I'm sitting at my desk, staring down at a blank piece of paper. Rose suggested I write a list of things I'm good at. A starting off point for job hunting. She claims most of my skills saving the universe should translate pretty easily onto a resume, but an hour and a half of sitting here has me thinking she just might be a little wrong.

I stare at the clock and watch another minute tick away. My mind wanders back to Rose, as it so often does.

Since that first night, Rose hasn't made time to talk with me again. She treats me almost the same as she always has when we're with her family, and she's always holding my hand, but she's made it quite clear she doesn't plan on being alone with me again. I confess, it make me a little lonely. I feel like she doesn't fully accept that I am a man of my own mind, with a life ahead of me that is my own. "The _real_ you," she had called him. The 'real' me? I tap my pen against my desk in thought. I wonder if she just thinks of me as a copy, a clone. I think the only way for her to accept that I _am _the Doctor, is to show her.

I think back to the kisses we shared that night, too. I think about those kisses a lot more than I think I should, but I can't seem to help it. My human DNA is very primal, and I haven't mastered how to control my emotions all too well.

I remember the feel of her when my hands roamed her back, her sides. I imagine she is smiling as my mouth claims hers, instead of tearful and broken-hearted. I recall her hands, touching my face, running through my hair. I wish I had touched her hair, her face, kissed her longer, and held her tighter. Maybe she would have liked that. Maybe she would've stayed instead of escaping from my presence.

When Rose is near me, I feel strong. From the first moment I held her hand, so long ago—when she was still so young and I had a different face—I felt that having her by my side made my strength endless. I wish I knew how she felt with me beside her.

A soft rapping at my door calls my attention. "Yes?" I answer with a smile already blooming. I know who's come to interrupt me.

"Doctor?" A tiny blonde head of hair peaks its way into view, and then two little brown eyes peer across the room at me, a question burning in them.

"Hello there, Tony!" I stand and meet him at the door, "What's on your mind?"

One good thing to happen over these two weeks of sitting around this mansion is Tony and I have become good friends.

Every day we each take turns teaching the other something new. First, Tony taught me to play make-believe with his toys (which I found was an excellent use of time). Next, I helped Tony learn to tie his tiny trainers by himself (this took almost a full week, but he's very clever).

The chef the Tyler's keep employed, Frederick, taught us how to bake a cake last week, and since gaining mastery of the oven, Tony and I have been baking all kinds of confectionery treats.

"Well…" Tony's little brow furrows, "Can we make biscuits today?"

I ruffle his hair and grin wildly, "Oh, yes, we most certainly can."

We race down to the kitchen. I let Tony win by a margin, and he looks quite pleased with himself. Tony pulls down the recipe book and I grab a large bowl, two aprons, and two spoons. I tie Tony's apron around his waist, and he helps tie mine.

I take the recipe book and flip open to a page we dog-eared the other day as the next thing we were going to try to make. "Peanut-butter biscuits! Do you still want to make these, Chef Tony?"

"Ay, Chef Doctor!" Tony puts his little thumb into the air, and my single heart gives a squeeze. I can't help it; he's too much an adorable little creature.

"Then let us prepare our tray!" I grab the cookie sheet, and Tony grabs the cooking oil from the counter and brings it to me. I oil the sheet quickly, and I smile down at my assistant, "Fetch me the carton of eggs from the fridge, please," I request. I start checking the cupboards for peanut-butter and flour. We both meet back at the bowl with the beginnings of our ingredients.

"Next, dig out the measuring spoons please," I instruct Tony. He opens the silver ware drawer and starts shifting through cutlery, as I gather everything else the book says we'll need.

"Here they are!" Tony exclaims, holding the spoons up proudly.

"There's a good lad," I pullover the step stool that resides tucked under the sink, and Tony and I being measuring in all of our ingredients. "Chef Tony, you are doing a spectacular job, if I say so myself."

"Can I lick the bowl?"

"Of course!" I nudge him lightly with my elbow, "But only if you share."

We take our spoons in hand. "Ready, Chef Tony?"

"Ay, Chef Doctor!"

"Then _En Guard_!" We both dip our spoons into the bowl and being thrashing about. Tony giggles as our spoons fight inside of the bowl, messily combining all of our ingredients together.

I hear the front door open and I check the kitchen clock. It's only two in the afternoon, but my singular heart starts to pound in anticipation. What if Rose has come home early? I love seeing her, and her being home early gives me more time to see her than usual.

Tony spins on his stool, trying to catch a glimpse of the front door. He looks back at me, and I nod in silent reply. We drop our spoons into the bowl and take off for the parlor.

"Rose!" Tony calls excitedly, rushing into her arms. I fight the urge to do the same, and content myself with watching her embrace Tony for a long moment. She releases him, and smiles in my direction.

"Hello," Rose's eyes glance at my apron and her eyebrows raise, "Are we baking, today?"

"Yes. Peanut-butter biscuits," I smile, "Chef Tony is teaching me all kinds of things."

"Chef Doctor is funny," Tony says, "We gotta go, Rose!" And he tears back to the kitchen.

I linger in the doorway for a moment, just staring at Rose. She's dressed nicely, having spent the day in the Torchwood offices, but her shoulders slump with fatigue. I wish I could relieve her some stress, but I have a feeling she won't want my help.

She catches my eye, and smiles, "You have something on your face."

"Oi," I put my hands on my hips, "It's called _handsome_ and it's a permanent affliction."

Rose walks to me, rolling her eyes, and wipes something from my brow. She shows me the smear on her finger, and then _licks it_. Rose savors for a minute, then grins up at me, "Peanut-butter!"

My jaw is open, and I can't take my eyes off of her mouth. I know she wasn't trying to be alluring, or sensual, but my cursed primal human instincts are translating her simple actions as such. I clear my throat, ignore the tightening in my trousers, and step slowly away from her.

"I'll come fetch you when the biscuits are finished," I tell her, my voice sounding higher pitched than usual.

Retreating back into the kitchen, I see Tony is thrashing his spoon about the bowl enthusiastically. I step up beside him, "Ah, Chef Tony, fantastic job combining the ingredients."

"Thanks, Chef Doctor!" Tony lifts his spoon from the bowl, taking my praise as a dismissal of action, and begins licking it clean. I give the bowl a final mix with my own spoon and begin dolloping doe onto the cookie sheet. After setting the oven to pre-heat, I step back to the bowl, dip in my finger, and taste the uncooked doe.

"This is heavenly," I exclaim, "Tony, this is _brilliant_!"

Tony abandons his spoon and reaches into the bowl, taking a fist full of doe and enjoying it thoroughly. "You right, Docta," He mumbles over a mouthful of peanut-butter.

"We are class A Chef's now, Tony," I take another dip in the bowl before surrendering the remains to my tiny assistant.

The oven beeps, letting me know it is to temp, and I place the cookie sheet on the middle rack, set the timer for 20 minutes, and then begin to clean up our mess. Tony takes the bowl to the bar, climbs atop a stool, and continues eating the raw doe, watching as I do the dishes.

I clean the dishes, wipe down the counter, and replace all of our ingredients to roughly the same place they were taken from. I know Frederick will probably have something to say about it, but he seems to have taken a liking to me, so he shan't complain too much.

Tony licks his hands clean, then jumps down from his seat to wash them properly in the sink.

"I can't wait for our biscuits," He tells me. I meet him at the sink and wash my hands with him. "I love cooking, Chef Doctor."

"I love cooking, too, Chef Tony," We dry our hands and make for the dining room table.

"Doctor, can we play Gold Fish?"

I reach deep into my pocket, whip out a deck of cards, and waggle them in front of his face, in way of agreement. Tony sits himself down on the right side of the table, and I sit on the left and deal our cards. Gold Fish is another of Tony's favorites. He's rather good, and has beaten me nearly every time we've played. I stopped letting him win a week ago, and he still has me at ten-to-one odds.

We play until the timer goes ding. "Ding!" I shout, excitedly.

"Ding!" Tony repeats, bouncing up and down in his seat, "Ding! Ding!"

"You know, Tony," I start saying as I pull on the oven mitts, "I used to have a special machine that went ding," I open the oven and pull out the sheet, placing it atop of the oven to cool, "It was a timey-wimey detector. Goes ding when there's stuff. It was quite useful for other things, as well. I even had it set to download music," I turn to face him, "I have too much time on my hands."

"Why didn't _I_ ever see this machine?" Rose walks from the back of the kitchen, entering from the backyard and startling me beyond belief, "And what do you mean _'goes ding when there's stuff_?'"

"Well," I lean back on the counter, admiring her change in clothes a moment longer than necessary (tight jeans and a loose t-shirt that says some name I don't know), before answering, "It's something I made after we were…uh, separated. Right. Yes," I wave a hand over the biscuits, "Biscuits ready. I'm going to let Jackie and Pete know. They're always excited for fresh cuisine."

"Doctor?" Rose calls softly, as I am now dashing towards the dining room, "Could I ask you something? A bit later?"

I nod, biting my lip so as not to point out that she _had_ just asked me something, just now, but that might be a bit annoying. My human DNA seems more apt at social cues, things I could never quite read before. I turn on my heal and make way for the den, where I know Pete will be.

The hidden door under the stairs is only opened by a series of knocks. Fortunately, Tony showed me the knock last Thursday, so I enter without problem, walk down the twisty stairs and am greeted with a second door. This one only opens from the inside, unless you have a key code, which Tony sadly couldn't teach to me.

"Pete!" I bang a fist on the large, metal door, "Tony and I fixed biscuits for tea time! Come up when you're ready, alright?" I hear a muffled reply, and exit the way I came. I try not to think about how I'm slowly but surely becoming a regular house-wife, complete with baking and tea times.

To my surprise, Rose is waiting for me in the parlor.

"Oh, hello there," I walk to her and stop a few feet away, keeping my distance.

She smiles warmly to me, "Hello. Mum was outside. I told her about your biscuits."

"Ah. Right. Good." I shove my hands into my pockets. My _jean_ pockets. I haven't been shopping yet, which Jackie says she keeps meaning to do, but I keep finding a way to weasel out of. I can't go shopping with _Jackie_. She's…well, she's Jackie. So my wardrobe consists of baggy jeans and baggy shirts donated by Pete, graciously. I'm swimming in them, and I miss my tight fitting suits, but I haven't felt like complaining too much about it. I'm afraid it'll send Jackie on a roll straight to the shop.

"Could I, uh," Rose fiddles with her hands for a moment, collecting her thoughts, I suppose. I furrow my brow, because she must be feeling just as awkward as I do. There's been a lot of that as of late.

"Yes?" I prompt, taking a teensy step in her direction.

"Well." She sighs, and I see something switch in her eyes as she stows away one question and grabs desperately for another, "I've been meaning to ask if you wanted to go get some new clothes?"

I hold her gaze for a moment, hopefully letting her know I caught her changing gears, and answer, "Yes. Oh, yes, I would love that."

She grins, sticking her tongue out through her teeth in that way she always used to. Been a while since I've seen that smile.

"Doctor, can I eat now?" Tony appears at my side almost instantly. Usually I hear his approach a mile off, but I must be too distracted.

Rose's hand brushes my arm as I turn to follow Tony back to the kitchen. I freeze in place for a millisecond, slowly processing her touch. I turn to look at her, and she's still smiling at me. "Would you like to head to the shop tomorrow? I have the whole day off of work."

My head shakes viciously in affirmative, and my face hurts I'm grinning so broadly at her. "It's a date."

I say the words without thinking. _I didn't mean to say that. What if she gets upset? She said that night at the hotel was a date, but maybe she's the only one who can declare something like that?_ My brain goes blank, and my eyes widen a fraction.

Rose's smile falls, but her eyes stay bright. She nods slowly, her eyes never leaving mine, "Yeah. It's a date."

* * *

"A _floral shirt_? Rose, be a bit considerate of my own personal taste."

Rose laughs a little and places the offensive garment back on the rack. I've been put in charge of pushing the trolley, which has quite a few items within. I picked out a new blue suit, and a couple pair of trouser, while Rose has placed a few t-shirts with faded signs on them that I don't recognize. She says they're the alternate universe names for bands I've expressed interest for in the past.

"I'm not sure. What else will I need?" I look to Rose and she nods behind me. I turn and blanch, "Oh, Lord. Right." We're beside the underwear rack, and I feel my face flush for absolutely no reason. Bollocks human genes are terrible. I grab a pack of plain printed somethings and toss them in the trolley, eager to be away from this horrible place, but Rose reaches in and picks up the package.

"Oi!" I exclaim, reaching for them, "Hands off my knickers!"

"You're a briefs man, then, are you?" Rose steps away as I reach for them and her smile is mocking, "Are you sure you want these? They're rather plain! I would have thought you'd want some pretty prints, maybe get a special one made with little banana's all over, eh?"

My face must be close to bursting to flame with embarrassment. I shove my hands in my pockets and glare at her. "Place the undergarments in the trolley, Rose, and let us move on."

"Oh, alright," She throws them in, laces her arm around mine, and pushes us through the isle to the dressing room. Rose's arm slides slowly down until her hand laces with mine, and my flushed face grows a bit warmer, but not from embarrassment. I tighten my hand around hers, and smile stupidly over at her. She is so breathtakingly lovely I can barely stand it. I want to stay beside her forever.

Rose meets my gaze, "Well then, Doctor. It's time for the fashion show."

"Eh?"

She releases me, gathers up the clothes from the trolley, and walks to the woman behind the counter. "Eight items, ma'am," Rose tells her, "For the handsome gentleman in the baggy trousers."

"Right-o, this room is empty," The woman takes a card that has the number eight printed on it, and hangs it on a door knob, "Take your time."

I make for the room, thinking about how Rose has just called me handsome, and take the bundle of clothing from Rose's arms.

"When you try on something new, come out so I can see it, alright?"

"But, why?"

"So I can tell you if it looks good or not!" She sounds exasperated, but her smile is genuinely sweet.

"I think I could tell that by myself," I say, just because I love this bantering we're doing. Feels like old times.

"Yes, right, you are capable of dressing yourself. But I still want to see it all, thank you."

I turn into the room and shut the door. First I try on the new blue suit I picked out. It's tight in all the right places, and a darker shade than my other one. I put on one of the colorful shirts Rose picked out, slip into the coat, and exit. "What do you think?" I ask, giving a turn, "It's a nice one, eh?"

Rose is sitting down on a bench beside the dressing rooms, reading a magazine. She looks up and stops for a second to stare. I grin devilishly.

"You like it?"

She sticks her tongue out in a smile and nods, "Oh, yes," her eyes trail up and down my body, and a shiver follows her eyes, as if they were physically touching me. She meets my gaze with a wider smile, "Next one, now. Move along."

Next I try on a pair of jeans and another shirt. These trousers are tighter than my suit pants—which is saying something—so I'm not too sure I'll be keeping them. I step out, and Rose looks up from the magazine with fascination, but freezes with a look of awe on her face. I decide the jeans will stay.

"Oh," is the only syllable to escape her perfect, pink lips.

"I love those!" The woman working behind the dressing counter exclaims, "Those jeans are perfect. Where did you find those? I'll get some for _my_ husband."

Now I see Rose's face flush, but she bites her lip and tells the woman where to find another pair as I slip back into the changing room.

My other trousers fit like a dream, two made of cotton and tweed combination, and the last being a slightly looser pair of jeans. I like all the t-shirts Rose picked out, even if I'm not too sure what bands they reference quite yet.

As we make for the checkout line, Rose sees something and takes off, leaving me alone and looking like an idiot. She rushes back, something big, black, and leather in her hands. "Try this on really quickly," she instructs, taking the garment off the hanger. I oblige, pulling the item on.

It's a leather jacket, made longer in the torso, with several pockets. A light bulb goes off as I admire it and I look at Rose in astonishment. "It's almost exactly the same." I know I don't need to finish my thought. I can tell she's thinking the same thing.

She glances up from appraising the jacket to look into my eyes, and everything stops for a long moment. It is just Rose and I, standing with each other like we always were meant to. Her smile is soft, and her eyes are full of emotion. I smile down at her, watching her pink lips open as she starts to speak.

"Sometimes," Rose pauses to take a shaky breathe and continues, "Sometimes I miss him; the you I met first. The one with the big ears, the goofy grin. He was so full of emotion and he was so lonely. And sometimes I can see him, peaking out through your eyes," Her hand brushes my cheek and I hold my breath, not wanting to ruin this perfect moment. "It _is_ still you, isn't it," Her voice is barely a whisper, and I strain to hear it.

"Next!" The cashier calls, breaking into our bubble of perfection. I turn to see the perpetrator and the man gives me a bored expression, "I can help you over here, if you like."

I push the trolley over, slip out of the jacket so the fiend running the register can scan it, and wait patiently as Rose pays the man. Gathering the bags in one hand, I reach for Rose with the other, and we make our way back to the car.

Rose drives us out of the parking lot and we begin making our way home again. The radio is on a low volume, so as not to disturb conversation, but I'm content to sit in silence. I have Rose's left hand in mine, which she steals for use occasionally, but always returns it to its rightful place.

It's all pleasant and quiet, but then a song starts to play, and I can't help my reaction. My head whips to stare at the radio, and I turn the volume up as the beat starts to get stronger. "No way. No _bloody_ way!"

Rose gives me a smile, "I know!"

"The Proclaimers! I'm Gonna Be! Rose this is…it's _fantastic_!" I start bobbing my head to the beat, getting ready to sing along, but I stop because I can hear there is something…wrong.

The lyrics are a little different than I'm used to. The music is essentially the same, at its core, and as the song comes to the chorus it's exactly the same as I recall, but I notice a distinct change in lyric in each verse.

"It's a bit odd," I say, off hand.

Rose nods, "Yes. You'll notice that with loads of songs," she turns the volume down a tick, "And this isn't The Proclaimers. Here, they're named The Exclaimers. Most bands here have different names than we're used to. Some bands I loved were never even created in this universe. I find it a bit sad, really, but that's part of the curse of Pete's world."

"Ah, I see. Well, it's to be expected," I lean back in my seat and trace circles into Rose's hand with my thumb, "Parallel universe, bound to have loads of little differences. And big ones, too. President of England, flying zeppelin's instead of airplanes. I wonder what other quirks we'll be able to find."

"When we start traveling you'll notice loads more," Rose states. We turn off the road and into the long driveway that leads to the Tyler Estate. She glances sidelong at me before she says, "Well, I mean, if you would like to go traveling. I did mention we should go traveling sometime. If you wanted to."

"Is…is that what you wanted to ask me yesterday?"

Rose smirks and nods. "Yeah. Sort of. I've been thinking a lot, you know, especially since we've gotten into routine, and it's just. Well. I feel too _cramped_ in this house with Mum, and Dad, and Tony, and everything. Don't you?" She pulls up to the house and parks the car, turning in her seat to look me full in the face.

I shrug, wondering where her train of thought will lead, "It's a bit much. But there's never a dull moment."

"Well. Yeah," She tilts her head in question, "But I don't want to live with my parents forever. And it would be nice to have a little peace, wouldn't it?"

My gut starts to clench as my mind starts piecing together where she must be going. "Oh. I see."

"An apartment in the city would be nice. It wouldn't have too much expense, and I'd be closer to work."

I nod, my eyes dropping to our hands still entwined on the console between us. She wants to leave. She wants to get out of this house, get away from _me,_ and live on her own. "So, what were you thinking? You want to move out and then go traveling together?"

"Actually," Rose's voice sounds full of excitement, "I thought we could go traveling and _then_ get an apartment. I think it would be a good transition, don't you? We'd both get out of the house for a bit; see the world a little, and then when we come home again all our things will be in boxes already. And we'd get to be…_us._Just Rose and the Doctor, together, like it should be."

"Wait, but," I lift my eyes to hers, hopeful, "You, uh, you want to get an apartment…_with me_? To live in…_together_?"

Rose blanches, her eyes go wide and her mouth falls into a frown, "I wasn't trying to be presumptuous or anything. I just, you know, assumed that we'd…well that you'd want to move in together. I know our relationship hasn't really gone anywhere. I know I haven't let anything move forward between us, but…I mean we're in the same house as _my Mum_. I don't want to have to worry she's just outside the door, listening in or something," Her face turns bright red, "I mean, there are other factors, of course. And I'm not saying that we'd be doing anything she'd want to listen in on. Oh Lord, I'm not saying we'd be doing anything at all! I just can't stop talking, and you're looking at me like I'm daft, and it was only a thought, we don't have to do anything if it's too domestic for you"—

My lips silence hers. I can't help but smile as my mouth covers hers in a kiss that hopefully translates as a resounding _yes!_ My hands reach for her face, and I try to press a bit closer to her. I breathe against her, a sigh of relief, as I feel her hands tug my shirt. She jolts forward, pressing into me, and I chuckle softly against her lips.

Rose smells like sunshine and beauty and lilacs. Our mouths push and pull together, and I let my hands wander to her hair. It is unbelievably soft. I hold her head, tilt it a little, and our kiss grows more passionate.

She murmurs against my mouth, her hands brushing against my face. I love when she touches me. I feel like my heart might explode whenever her skin touches mine. She pulls away for breath, but I'm not done kissing her, so I let out an exasperated sigh.

I hear her giggle and she pulls herself against me once more, her kiss sweet and soft. I don't think I'll ever have enough of her kisses, even if we were to spend the rest of our lives embraced like this.

"Doctor," She murmurs against my lips, "Doctor."

I don't know if she's trying to say something else, but hearing her voice sends a shiver down my spine. My hands find her shoulders and I pull her impossibly closer. I use more force than necessary, and nearly pull her into my lap.

"Owp," Rose fumbles, pulling away from me, "My arse is now in the steering wheel."

"Oh," My hands slide from her shoulders down her arms and to her hands. She's leaning heavily against me, her hands resting on my chest and her arms locked so her torso is separated from mine. "Sorry," I say, "I've, uh, well, I've never snogged in a car before."

Her head throws back and she laughs aloud. I love her laugh. I'll do anything to make her laugh like this. She sits back in her seat and looks over at me. Her hair is disheveled; her lips and cheeks flushed, and her eyes look hungry. Before she says anything I lean forward and steal a kiss, then rest back in my seat once more.

Rose runs her hands over her hair and shoots me a smile. "Doctor, you will be the death of me."

"I'll try not to be," I reply. She slips out of the car, and I jump out as well. I meet her at the hood, wrap my arms around her waist, and pull her into a tight hug. "Rose," I murmur into her hair, "Rose, I would love to go traveling. I would love to get an apartment with you. I want nothing more than to be _domestic_ with you, as long as you have no objection to being horribly domestic with me."

Her arms wrap around me, her hands stroke my neck. She fits her head in the space where my neck meets my shoulder, and her lips brush my skin as she murmurs in reply, "I wouldn't want any of this with anyone but you, Doctor."

We pull apart and smile at each other, all hopeful and excitement. I love this woman. I love her with everything I am, and I will love her until my single, human heart stops beating. We gather the bags from the trunk of the car and head inside, hands entwined together as if they will never have reason to part.

* * *

_*There's the end of chapter 4. They get longer and longer each time! I'll try to be a tad more consistent. Not sure who's POV chapter 5 will be in, but I know I'll only be switching between Rose and Tentoo's! Review if you so wish. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Next update is on the way!_


	5. Chapter 5

_About this story: Here is chapter 5. The Doctor and Rose are heading out on a trip towards discovery! Or some other cliche nonsense. Really, they're heading to Paris, France! Bound to be some fun times, right? We'll be going to two other destinations, mentioned within this chapter. This is a bit of a filler chap, so forgive me for that. More substance and plot forthcoming, promise!_

_I welcome reviews and suggestions! This is just a story to fill the whole this sailing ship left in my fangirl heart. Hopefully you enjoy. I'll be adding new chapters sporadically, but often!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to BBC and Doctor Who._

* * *

Mum, the Doctor, and myself stand in the airport. This is the first day of mine and the Doctor's next big adventure, and we're getting the goodbye's out of the way rather slowly, for my taste.

As Mum names off items we should have checked off on some bloody list she made us, I let my eyes drift towards the Doctor. I appreciate every aspect of his outfit; tight jeans, loose button down, the leather jacket I picked out. His hair is a bit longer than he usually keeps it, but still sticking up in all directions. All I want to do is get going, so I tune in and listen as Mum brings her speech to a close.

"Alright, now, you two be safe. Don't go out alone, don't do anything dangerous. Stay together, don't lose your passports, and keep ahold of your luggage! Am I forgetting something?"

"Yes, Mum," I wrap my arms around my mother's shoulders and pull her into a hug, "Breathe. I love you; we'll be back in a few weeks."

We pull apart and Mum is teary-eyed. "Oh, Rose, I know I should be used to you jetting off, but I'm always going to be your mother first. Just be safe."

The Doctor swoops in and hugs Mum tight, "Oh, Jackie, I'll be sure she doesn't get into any mischief."

"Bloody lot of good that does me," Mum moans into the Doctor's shoulder as she hugs him, "Your sense of mischief and mine are two completely different things!"

"At least we're staying on Earth this time 'round," The Doctor says in a reassuring way. He pulls away from Mum to peck her on the cheek, "I'll keep her safe, Jackie. I promise."

We all look up when a voice goes out over the airport intercom; "All boarding flight 203 to Paris. All boarding flight 203 to Paris."

"That's us, Mum!" I pick up my suitcase and kiss her cheek, "Send our love to Dad and Tony. See you all in three weeks!"

The Doctor takes up his suitcase and grabs my hand. We rush through security, turning to wave one last time to Mum before we race to our gate. Our boarding passes in hand, we step into the line for boarding and I sigh with relief.

The Doctor crushes me to his side. He is positively shaking with excitement, "Rose I can't believe we're actually doing it!"

I wrap an arm around his waist and squeeze, "Me either!"

We made the arrangements for our trip quickly last week. After the decision was made, we were both eager to jet off on a new adventure together. The Doctor has been reading up online all the different facts about every city we plan to visit, so he's chalk full of information but he's still so excited to see everything in person.

I'm excited to actually go sight-seeing; travelling for Torchwood was more a distraction from the world than a reason to see it. I didn't want to see the differences before because they were all giant reminders that I was in a foreign land, separated from the man I loved. The only thing I saw was the job I was sent to do.

Now that I have the Doctor with me, I know this trip will be filled with happy, exciting new memories.

"Hello," The attendant scanning boarding passes smiles at us, "And how is the happy couple?"

The Doctor shoots me a sideways glance before answering, "We're fantastic. I was wondering what sort of refreshments are being served aboard, would you happen to know?"

"Yes, sir," The attendant flips a screen down on the wall to reveal a computer, and taps the screen a few times, "If you check the sensor aboard your zeppelin carrier, you'll see the menu has been planned out, but there are many substitutions available, and the staff onboard keeps a fully stoked kitchen, as well."

The Doctor leans away from me to read the screen, "Oh, tortellini! I do love a good tortellini, you know."

I nod, my head resting on his shoulder. I love looking at him when he's looking at something else. It's one of my favorite things, because his eyes are so serious, and his lips purse. He hasn't shaved for the last few days, something he didn't have to worry about as often as a Time Lord, now he's boycotting the razor. I love the beard that's growing in, I've never seen the Doctor with facial hair, and it surprisingly suits him quite well.

The Doctor catches me staring, and his eyebrows waggle. "Like what you see?"

I roll my eyes and don't answer, but I tighten my arm around his waist.

The attendant waves us through, and we walk down the gate to board the passenger zeppelin. Our tickets have our compartment number, which we find without any trouble and pile inside. "This is nice, isn't it?" I ask, storing my suitcase in the overhead compartment.

The Doctor stores his case and glances around, giving the place a thoughtful look. His lower lip sticks out as he appraises the plush bench seats and the mini-fridge in the corner. He meets my gaze and grins. "It's no Tardis, but I guess it'll do."

"Speaking of Tarids's. Tardi? Tarduses?" I take a seat and shake my head, "Bloody hell, moving on. How is our little coral growing?"

The Doctor plops down beside me, "I have it stored in Pete's lab. It's growing nicely, and Donna had been exactly right about accelerating the expansive properties. I should be able to start carving in two years, give or take. I'd love to show you when we get back," He grins and his eyes crease, "I think it would love to get to know you, too."

"So, the new Tardis will be like the other? You know, with the telepathy and superior intelligence?"

"Oh, yes, Rose," He scratches the scruff on his cheek, "Since the root was taken from my original Tardis, this new Tardis will harbor similar tendencies, and inherit the same memories. The only difference, besides not being grown on Gallifrey beside other Tardis, will be that it will know this universe and all of its time streams. We'll be able to visit everything about this parallel universe, because _our_ Tardis has grown with this universe's sun and oxygen feeding it."

"You said the Tardis wants to _know_ me?"

"Yes. Our Tardis is just starting its life, and it is very eager to grow for us, but, like any growing organism, it craves affection, tenderness, love. It _years_ for us, Rose. It wants to know us, to know everything about us, so it will be able to take us wherever we need to go. The stronger your mental link is with the Tardis, the easier and more fulfilled flying her will be."

"How do I let it do that?" I take his hand in mine, lace out fingers together, just because I can't stand being apart from him for more than a few moments, "Do I read to it, or tell it stories?"

"Well, you could do that. You could also just sit as it soaks in nutrients from the surrounding air. That's what is usually done. Then, whilst it grows, it will start assimilating to your inner mind. You won't have to say a word, but the Tardis will be learning the way you think, your past memories, and where your future is heading," The Doctor shrugs a little, trying to seem off the cuff, "just a little bit of Time Lord technology at work."

"Oh, you think you're so impressive," My hand squeezes his, and I smile at him broadly.

A deep chuckle rumbles in his chest. He nudges his shoulder against mine and says; "I _am_ so impressive."

* * *

Our zeppelin lands in France around four in the afternoon. We pile off with our luggage in hand, making our way through the airport lazily. I've made arrangements with a driver to take us to our hotel, but I'm not as tired as I thought I would be from the trip, and the Doctor seems as full of energy as ever, so I am struck with an idea.

"Doctor?"

He looks down at me as we continue walking. "Yes, Rose?"

"Do you want to drop off at the hotel for a bit, or do you want to start an adventure?"

The look in his eye is positively mischievous, and his grin takes most of his face, "Oh, well, I'm always up for an adventure."

"That's what I love about you," I pull his hand and we rush out of the terminal, down the escalator and see a few drivers in black standing by the doors holding signs.

We find the woman holding a sign reading "The Doctor and Rose" and greet her warmly.

"Bonjour!" The Doctor gives the woman's hand a shake.

"Bonjour, Monsieur, and Madame Rose. We will be heading for the Hotel de Crillon, your car is waiting outside," She motions to the doors and gives us a warm smile.

"Right, well," I rest my hand on her arm for a moment, "What is your name?"

"Oh, I am Georgiana Rouge."

"Well, Georgiana, we were hoping to see something first. Could you take us to see the Eiffel Tower before we go to the hotel?"

Georgiana nods enthusiastically, "Oui, that is on the way. Follow me to the car."

"Allons-y!" The Doctor exclaims, making Georgiana giggle as she walks us outside to a black car sitting on beside the sidewalk curb.

The Doctor hoists our bags into the trunk as Georgiana protests.

"Monsieur, please! I must insist"—

"No, no, Georgiana! How can I, an able bodied human male, sit by whilst you lift these monstrously heavy bags into the boot? Not very gentlemanly, is it?" The Doctor winks at me and shuts the trunk door, "I wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea, eh?"

"If you insist," Georgiana sighs, stepping into the driver's seat.

The Doctor races to open the car door for me, and I laugh a little before slipping into the backseat.

"What? What's so funny?" The Doctor asks as the car starts moving.

"Nothing. You are the epitome of manners and gentlemanly behavior," I wrap my arm through his, the car pushes forward, and I point out the window, "Look, the architecture is spectacular, isn't it?"

The Doctor leans closer to my window, and, subsequently, closer to me. His chest brushes my shoulder, and I smile at the close contact as he begins telling me all about Paris.

"Most of these buildings are based on Haussmann's renovation, which took place in the 1860s. He completely renovated how architects plan out cities. Took a while for his genius to become noticed, as most genius does, but Haussmann was bloody brilliant," The Doctor turns to look out of his window as the traffic slows, "Oh, Rose, do you see that building there?"

I lean over him for a better glimpse, and I see a giant monolithic building, with columns and gargoyles, and gold plated statues. My mouth falls in awe, "Bloody hell, that's breathtaking."

"That's the Palais Garnier. Built between 1861 and 1875. A real work of art, that is. It's an opera house, _the _opera house, built for the Paris Opera."

"It is called the Opera Garnier, monsieur," Georgiana puts in, "It is one of the most famous places here in Paris."

I sit back in my seat as the car presses on, and I look at the Doctor, "That isn't any different from our old universe, though, is it?"

He shrugs, "There are differences, and I'm sure we'll find them. I didn't want to spoil anything for us, but I did find out that instead of being run by a democratic state, the French are still under a monarch."

"You're kidding?"

"No, no, it's the truth," He nods, his smile growing wider, "this universe's England has a president, and it's Paris still has a King. Georgiana?" The Doctor looks up at our driver, "Georgiana, do you know the King of France?"

"The King? Oh, oui, monsieur! King Louis Alphonse, of course!"

The Doctor turns to give me his winning grin, and I roll my eyes in response. But nothing can keep a smile from my mouth. I rest my head on his shoulder, and sigh. I have missed him so much I can hardly stand it. Even with him sitting here beside me, I still recall the times when he wasn't, and my heart aches with each beat.

Long moments pass as we continue driving through Paris. Georgiana and the Doctor point out a few more historical sites that are different from ones I recall being in the other Paris, but I had never actually been to the other Paris, so I can't really tell the difference.

I've been to _this_ Paris twice, on business. First, tracking an alien craft that crashed near the airport (it had been trying to land, but the driver lost control and was killed on impact, poor soul), and the second time when I was tailing a known serial killer who was using futuristic weaponry. Neither times was I able to really see Paris and enjoy the sights and sounds and people. Well, I didn't have the urge to see those things. I only had time for my pain, and my job.

The Doctor rests his head atop mine.

"We're almost to the Eiffel Tower, madam and monsieur. I will park and await you, then take you on to the Hotel de Crillon."

"Bless you, Georgiana," The Doctor says, "You truly are a wonderful woman. Are you married?"

"Oui, monsieur, for twelve years. My husband, Gustav, works on the ferry boats," Georgiana's voice is full of endearment when she mentions her husband.

"Do you have children?" I ask, surprising myself.

"Oui, madam," Georgiana smiles warmly as she watches the road, "Two twin boys, Henri and Jac. They will be nine years old next month."

"And you love them?" My tone makes a statement, because her affection is written all over her face.

"Oui, madam. They are my life."

I snuggle into the Doctor's side and think quietly to myself as we get closer to our destination. I wonder if the Doctor wants kids. He's had children before, and I know they were lost to him long ago, so part of me thinks that may be a chapter he won't want to open again.

I always thought I'd have children, someday and with the right man. My eyes trail up to the Doctor's face, and I smile a little, because if I were ever to have a baby with someone, this is the exact man I would choose.

The Doctor's eyes meet mine, and they're filled with affection. He looks soft, and open, and I can't help it when I lean up and steal a kiss to which he is oh, too willing to give.

"Here we are, madam and monsieur. The Eiffel Tower," Georgiana has parked our car and she turns to grin at us, "Go and see. It is a marvel."

The Doctor and I pile out of the car, and I watch carefully as he takes in the building before us.

His mouth falls into a frown, and his brow furrows in confusion. "What?" he asks, appalled, "What is this?"

I laugh, "It's the Eiffel Tower, Doctor. This is one of those differences we were looking for."

He looks down at me, "You knew about this?" he accuses.

"Well, I have been to this Paris before, and this is one thing that's pretty hard to miss," I motion towards the monument, and we both turn to stare at it again.

It's very similar to the other Eiffel Tower with the same basic shape, the swooped feet that grow towards the heavens. The differences lie in the arches, the pavilion, and the cupola that sits at the very top.

In the other Eiffel Tower, it's all angels and points. Here, everything is a bit…_rounder_. The arches have a rounded edge, almost looking like half-tubes running along the entire structure. The glass pavilion, towards the top of the structure, bows out, making the room look like a bubble even from the ground. And then, the top. The cupola is a gigantic ball of iron, sculpted with care, complete with a sharp spire atop of it to make the Eiffel Tower's point. The whole thing looks extraordinary, even if it isn't what the Doctor and I are used to seeing on the streets of Pari.'

"It-it-it" The Doctor stutters, and waves his hand up towards the Tower, "It-it's like the bloody space needle!"

"Yeah," I squint my eyes, "A bit."

The Doctor sighs, "That is definitely something different."

"Oooh, Doctor!" I tug his arm, "We should see what that looks like next!"

"We should see what?" The Doctor looks down at me with an exasperated expression, "Rose, it's a little too late to change our plans. We're already booked in Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam. It's much too late to go flying off to America to see the Space Needle."

"No, you plum," I nudge his arm, "I mean on our next trip. We could go see famous American cities next, couldn't we? Play a few rounds of spot-the-difference, eh?"

The Doctor stares into my eyes for a long moment, searching for something there. Maybe he finds what he's looking for, maybe not, but he throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close, kissing the top of my head.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea. Now, I am _exhausted_. And famished. Why don't we pop off to the hotel, shall we? See if they have any of those lovely pillow mints? And comfy slippers too, I just love a good comfy hotel slipper."

He leads us back to the car, and I wrap my arm around his waist. "When have _you_ ever had reason to stay in a hotel?"

"Loads of times," The Doctor opens the car door, and sends a wink my way, "I can't get enough of the room service."

* * *

Georgiana drives us straight to our hotel, and blushes madly when the Doctor hands her a large wad of money as a tip.

"Monsieur I cannot"—

"Oh, bollocks, you can, and you will," The Doctor shoves his hands in his pockets (Gods could those jeans be any tighter?), and smiles warmly to Georgiana, "You truly are wonderful. We'll request you personally if we have any need of a driver whilst we're here. Won't we, Rose?"

I nod in agreement. "Thank you again, Georgiana. You hug those boys of yours for us!"

The Doctor takes both sets of luggage in his hands and looks pointedly over at me.

I place my hands on my hips, "And what's that look for?"

"Well," He nods towards the door, then meets my gaze, "Ladies first, then."

"How polite," I open the hotel door, walk through, and hold it open as the Doctor pushes through with the bags.

We check in at the lobby desk, which is staffed by three men who seem to genuinely like their jobs. I take our room key, and lead the Doctor to the lift. When the doors shut he drops the bags at our feet with a huge sigh.

His eyes meet mine, and his expression is accusatory.

"Alright, now what's _that_ look for?"

"Well, Rose, that bag weighs a ton! What, did you pack your entire house?"

"I packed the essentials," I insist, placing my hands on my hips, "and I don't want to hear anything from you about packing. Who's the one who kept on about bags that should be bigger on the inside?"

"They should be! It would be much more convenient, and, might I add, a bit easier to carry," the elevator comes to a halt, and the Doctor picks up the bags again, "The dead body you've crammed inside this thing would feel like a feather if we had a bit of Time-Lord technology on our hands, that's all I'm saying."

We exit the lift and I unlock the door to our room. "And all _I'm_ saying is you sound like a broken record," I cheek, sticking my tongue out at him.

The Doctor makes a face at me, before turning to examine the room. I turn to look, and my jaw drops. "Blimey," is all I can muster.

The Doctor steps through the threshold, sets our bags down, and lifts his eyes to the ceiling. "Oh, wow," he looks at me and motions for me to step inside as well. I comply, shutting the door behind me, and meet him in the middle of the room. "Look at the ceiling, Rose," the Doctor murmurs to me.

Looking up, I see a gorgeous chandelier—our room is large enough for its own chandelier—and hand painted cherubs playing in clouds painted above our head. My eyes drift to the hand-carved love seat, the wooden table that sits beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the door that leads to a private balcony, and, last but not least, the king-sized masterpiece.

The bed is from a fairy-tale. It is surrounded by a canopy, all white and billowy fabric, with steps that help a person climb atop the gigantic beast. It is large, and spacious, but still manages to be fragile and elegant.

"There's been a mistake," I sputter out, my eyes fixated on the majesty before me, "I paid for a double room. Not the _bloody sweet!_" I rush to the bedside table and pick up the phone, preparing to dial the front desk, but the Doctor forces a cough to catch my attention, and I turn to gape at him. "What? Have something to add over there, Doctor tight pants?"

"Well, I—_hey_! You love these pants! Besides, maybe I might have…well," He shoves his hands into his pockets, shifts a bit from foot to foot uncomfortably. I hang the phone on the receiver and stare at him in wonder and fascination as he gathers his thoughts.

The Doctor's eyes meet mine, and he has a certain conviction I haven't seen there in a while. "Well, I asked Pete to upgrade our rooms before we left."

My jaw drops, "But why?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Because I—well because we—well, I guess, because this is our first real vacation. And you should want for nothing." He shrugs a little, but a smile crooks up one corner of his mouth, "I wanted to surprise you. Like I usually always could, with the Tardis and all. This was the only thing I could think to do that would…confuse and excite you a bit. Worked, didn't it?"

He looks awkward, and insecure. He looks perfect, and wonderful. His eyes search for a place to rest, but they drift from the windows to the bed to the floor and to my eyes, full of anxious energy.

I take long strides to meet him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. "Oh, Doctor," I murmur against his neck, "I forget that you're just as lost as I am, stuck here on the slow path," his arms wrap around me, "Thank you. This is a big surprise, and I absolutely love it. Thank you."

The Doctor nuzzles into me. His nose brushes my ear, the stubble of his cheek brushes my chin, and his lips brush my jaw. He pulls back so his nose is touching my own, and I grin at him. Brown eyes bright and burning with desire, he dips his head, his eyes flutter closed, and he breathes in deep, breathing me in.

Kissing him is instant relief to pain I didn't know I felt. My lips sigh into his and my hands tangle in his hair. We move together, pulling and pushing and pressing into each other. His kisses are like sunshine on a sleeping flower, warm and welcome.

I tug his lapels, and his hands press my hips tighter to him. A gasp escapes my lips and he pulls away to look at me.

"I'm alright," I whisper, not wanting to disrupt this moment.

"Alright?" His brows knit together in confusion, "Are you sure?" His hands trace my spine, slowly, softly, sensually, "You're completely sure?" He growls, his voice rough with emotion.

"Oh, shut up," I press my lips to his once more, eager for the high only he can give me. My hands stroke his face, and I revel the stubble on his chin, love the feel of his smooth neck under my fingertips. A shiver passes through me as he trails his fingers down my spine, and I gasp into his mouth again.

The Doctor chuckles under my lips. One of his hands rest at the small of my back, and the other makes its way slowly up, up, up until he reaches my face. He tilts my face slightly, and I lean into his palm. My lips pull at his, and he sighs into my kisses, eager for more.

"Rose," The Doctor's voice is rough. He takes my face with both hands, his lips devouring mine. I wrap my arms around his waist, not shy in the least as I lift his shirt a bit to feel the skin of his back under my hands.

I feel him jolt in surprise, and I open my eyes to see his expression to find his eyes opened wide. He breaks our kiss, but before he pulls away his tongue brushes my lips and my knees go a little weak.

"Alright," my voice is rough, "Well, that's, uh, we're pretty good at that."

"Yes we are," he pulls away to grin down at me, "We are _extremely_ good at that."

I giggle and pull him closer, "I've never snogged someone in France. I feel like I'm going international. Taking the snog across borders."

"I've snogged someone in France before," He states, his voice full of honor and conviction, "Madame de Pompadour, you remember her?"

"You _snogged_ Madame de Pompadour?"

"Oh, right," the Doctor's face falls, "Right, yes, well, it was a while ago now. I thought we were swapping snog stories, like old war tales? Or maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it?" His voice rises in pitch as his nerves get the better of him, "Maybe I should stop talking. That would be the best move. Although it may be harder than it sounds, because it seems once words start forming in my mouth it's hard for them to stop. She was very sweet, and to be honest she kissed me, so I didn't initiate it. Although, not going to lie to you, Rose, I did, uh, kiss back, but solely on instinct!"

I interrupt him with a laugh, and I watch his face brighten and his shoulders relax a little more. "She was very beautiful. I won't deny you the simple pleasures of snogging famous French mistresses. Though, I would have to insist that in the future you be a bit less forthcoming with your kisses."

"Yes, I promise," His hands find my face again, "I'll be sure to ask your permission before snogging strange women I meet on space ships with wormholes to 18th century France."

"That seems reasonable," I pull away, dropping his waist and taking his hand, "Now, would you like to dine in a ridiculously fancy restaurant with me, Doctor?"

He nods, my favorite smile enveloping his entire face, "Not only would I love to, but I've already made a reservation."

"You have?"

"Well, Pete did," the Doctor shrugs, "I told you, I'm full of surprises."

"And full of yourself."

"If I wasn't just a little bit overconfident than I wouldn't be the Doctor, now, would I?"

"No. Overconfidence is definitely not something you're lacking in."

* * *

_*I very much hope you enjoyed this chapter. I took a long break in between this and the last. So sorry. I'm trying to write as fast as I can, but I find fact-checking so tedious, and also very thrilling. I wanted to make the differences between both realities realistic, for instance the King of France mentioned is a literal modern-day descendant of a previous French royal family. Or so I believe to be true via the sanction of several websites. _

_**To all the REVIEWERS. BLESS YOU. You all make me feel very good about this story, where I am very self conscious about writing in general, your reviews have built my confidence. Let me know what you think about this one. Now on-to the future!_


	6. Chapter 6

_About this story: Here is chapter 6. Doctor Tentoo and Rose are still in Paris, and have been for a few days. This chapter is in the Doc's POV. I hope you like it, I know I liked writing it. Keep reviewing, it fuels my creativity!_

_I welcome reviews and suggestions! This is just a story to fill the whole this sailing ship left in my fangirl heart. Hopefully you enjoy. I'll be adding new chapters sporadically, but often!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to BBC and Doctor Who._

* * *

Rose takes my hand, and my mind stops for a moment. She gives me a smile, and pulls me through the rooms of the Louvre, where we are spending the day running around looking at this universe's famous works of art. I listen to the sweet sound of her voice as she talks, not quite hearing the words as appreciating the excitement within her tone.

I will never have enough time to just simply stare at her. I think I could spend every second of the rest of my life staring at Rose Tyler and never be bored with it. She is a marvel, and a gift. And she is all mine.

"Doctor?"

Oh, no. I've missed something. "Yes?"

Rose rolls her eyes, "Doctor, look, if you're not going to pay attention"—

"No, I am, I am," I scan the room we're in; lots of paintings. Obviously. "We're looking for the Mona Lisa."

"Yeah, Doctor, and look," Rose points to the wall ahead of us, "just there."

We walk up to the red rope that protects the artwork from wandering hands, and stare into the face of the Mona Lisa. But, it _isn't_ the Mona Lisa.

"That _is_ different," I murmur softly. My left hand reflexively reaches into my jacket pocket for my brainy specs, but to no avail. Left them in the other suit. With the other Doctor. I press on, trying hard not to let Rose know my blunder, "Right. It's the same face, but a different angle and setting. Look at her posture here? She's turned in the opposite direction as the _other_ Mona Lisa, and instead of being in the jungle, she looks to be…in a town setting. Somewhere in Italy, I'd guess. Very strange. Not that it isn't beautiful, and it's still one of Divinci's finest (although, if you ask me, I prefer his work with boat shoes), it's still very…fascinating, isn't it?"

"And her eyes," Rose leans closer to the painting, "Her eyes look…sad. Our Mona Lisa, she was a bit mysterious, you know, like she knew something you didn't. This one still has that air, but…I don't know, she looks a bit depressed, don't you think?"

I nod in agreement, "Yes, I believe your right."

Rose stares into the painting for a long moment before pulling away to sigh. "Something about all the differences…they're just so…_different_, you know? Like, I'm not saying they're bad, and it's a fresh take and everything, but I miss the originals, you know? The one's I'm used to," her eyes look up into mine and we both freeze for a moment, and I know we're both thinking about how I am different from 'the original.' I am suddenly wondering if she wishes she could have all of her originals back, when she forces a smile, "Anyway, let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."

"Yeah, you go on," I release her hand, "I've got to find the loo, I'll meet you next door, alright?"

Rose nods, her eyes filled with a little concern, but she leaves willingly enough.

I make my way to the restroom, thinking about Rose as I move through the crowd. We've been in Paris for two days. And it's been wonderful. But we haven't talked about anything important yet, and it's starting to get to me.

I went through so much while we were apart, and I know I'm not the only one. Well, if we're being technical, there are _three_ of us that went through all of that, now, but I shake my head as if to shake that part away. But there is no denying my own jealousy.

For two nights Rose and I have shared the large bed that resides in our hotel room. The first night I tried to graciously bow out, sleeping on the small sofa and allowing Rose the bed in its entirety.

"Doctor, don't be ridiculous," Rose had insisted, "There is plenty of room for the two of us. I promise I won't bite," she winked at me, "Hard."

At first I was eager to share her bed. I climbed under the covers, and Rose rolled into me, nuzzling into my chest. I wrapped my arms securely around her, and took a deep breath in, loving the smell of her.

She lay still for a moment, before saying, "I'm still not used to it."

"To what?" I had asked, suddenly extremely self-conscious. Was it my beard? Did she not like my hair? My loose t-shirts? What?

"Your single heartbeat," Her hand touched the place where my heart resided, "You think I'd prefer it, since it means we're both human, and I do like it very much. But in my mind I had always imagined…"

"The hearts of a Time Lord," I pulled away to look into her eyes, "The quadric beat of two double hearts beating together." Rose closed her eyes, and I watched her slowly drift, and her breathing start to slow. "Can I tell you a secret," I had whispered when she was almost asleep, "I'm still not used to it, either."

And that has been the deepest conversation we have had since arriving in Paris. Not that I assumed this trip would put us both in a talking sort of mood. Only, well, if we don't talk about our feelings now, when we're as alone and together as we ever have been before, when will we?

I enter the restroom, not needing to use the facilities, but instead needing a moment to collect my thoughts. I gaze into the mirror.

My face is the same as it has been since I last regenerated. I run my hand over the thick scruff that covers my face and neck, something I didn't really need to worry about as a Time Lord, now I'm quite fond of the facial hair. Rose seems to like it, too.

I wash my hands in the sink before taking a deep breath to steady myself. I look over my assembled outfit; my new deep blue suit, with a dark t-shirt that reads _The Exclaimers_ proudly across my chest, and, lastly my red trainers. Lifting my feet a bit, I smile, because these are the trainers I first wore when I regenerated all those years ago. These trainers have seen a lot of running.

I straighten, gather my resolve, and leave the Louvre to find Rose.

I find her in a café next door, sitting alone, sipping a drink, gazing out of the window. She isn't facing the door, so she doesn't see me enter the restaurant. When I slide into the seat opposite her, I am relieved to see her posture relax, her eyes brighten, and her beautiful face light with a smile.

"Took you long enough."

"Hey," I fold my arms across my chest, "Even Time Lord meta crisis need a mo' to primp. You can't expect me to be this handsome without any work at all, now, Rose, be reasonable."

Rose smirks as she hands me a menu. "I've already ordered a bit of lunch, but I wasn't sure what you were hungry for?"

I look over the menu and pick the first thing I see. I wave to the waitress who jots down my meal choice and leaves to inform the cook.

"I should have known," Rose mumbles into her steaming cup as she takes a sip.

"What's that?" I ask, leaning forward, "You should have known what?"

Rose sets down her cup and mimics me, leaning forward over the table closer to me, "That waitress. You must've noticed."

"That she's a woman? A bit hard to miss that one, Rose," I furrow my brow in confusion, wondering what it is she's getting at.

"No! Well, _yes_ she's a woman, but that isn't what I meant," Rose bites her lips, holding back a smile, before she blurts out; "She was checking you out!"

I grin broadly at her, "Well, can you really blame her?" I send Rose a wink which she takes with a roll of her eyes.

"Blimey, could you be anymore full of yourself?"

"Probably not," I answer with a shrug and sit back in my chair again. I straighten my legs under the table, trying to get comfortable, but I accidently brush my leg against Rose's. "Oh, sorry about that," I pull away instinctively.

Rose smiles, sticking her tongue through her teeth, and I feel her leg brush against mine again. My eyes widen and her smile turns dark as she brushes my leg with hers again, this time slower, and a bit more sensually. I jolt up in surprise, pulling my legs back under me.

"Oh, sorry about that," She repeats, sitting back in her chair, her expression smug, "Thought that was the table."

"Right," I clear my throat, "Right, well. Honest mistake."

Our waitress returns, bringing Rose's plate and my drink. "Your food will be ready in a moment, monsieur," She informs me, before disappearing into the kitchen once more.

"Can you believe her?" Rose asks, her tone appalling.

"Yes. I think she's a proficient waitress."

"She was undressing you with her eyes, Doctor," Rose stabs at her chicken risotto with a bit more force than necessary, "Might as well of been stripping you down right here."

"Rose, I think you're overreacting a tad," I take a sip of water and think back over the waitress again. I hadn't noticed any lingering eyes or anything. But it would take a disaster of epic proportions to pull my gaze away from Rose for more than a moment. I can't even think of the waitress's hair color, and she was here less than a minute ago.

"Oh, right, yeah, of course, I must just be overreacting," Rose eats a bit of food and glares up at me. She swallows, takes a gulp of her drink, and says, "I can't believe you didn't notice her. I bet you ten quid she gives you her number written on the back of our receipt!"

"Even if she does, I won't care!" I laugh a bit at the situation, "Oh, Rose, you'll have to get used to women looking at me. I mean, well, come on. You've seen me!" She rolls her eyes and stabs her chicken again with gusto, and I raise my hands in surrender, "Alright, alright, maybe I'll just waltz around with a paper bag over my head. Wear shabby clothes I find in dumpsters. Refuse to shower. What do you think, sound like a fair trade?"

"Paper bag might be an improvement," She mumbles into her plate.

I laugh loudly, and shake my head, "Goodness, Rose. You are too much."

Before she can reply, the waitress returns with my plate. I watch Rose, who is glaring up at the woman with my food. I turn my smile to the waitress, "Bless you," I say, taking my plate from her hand, "I'll be sure to let you know if we need anything else."

"Don't hesitate, monsieur," She purrs, and then saunters back to the kitchen.

My eyes meet Rose's with astonishment.

"You _see!_" Rose waves her hand to illustrate her point, "She gave you _bedroom eyes_ and everything! What am I, invisible! It's like I'm not even here!"

"No," I reach across the table and grip her hand, "No it isn't."

Rose's expression softens, "Well, I know _you_ see me."

"And I don't see anyone else."

She smiles and looks down, her face turning a bit red. She squeezes my hand before releasing it. "Eat your food. We've got to get back to the hotel soon to finish packing."

I drop my gaze to my plate, but I smile as I eat, my heart pounding with a giddy kind of glee at Rose's reaction. I don't know why, but I like it when she's jealous.

* * *

Rose and I are packing our bags to be sure we're ready to depart for Rome in the morning. We'll be traveling by train, which Rose has never done before, and I am excited to do for the first time in this form.

As I'm folding up my suit coat, Rose holds up a garment to show me.

"What do you think of this?"

She holds a red dress, sleeveless, and short, with barely enough fabric to call itself little more than a shirt. I picture it on her and my face flushes. To cover my blush I look back at my suitcase. "Well, it's a bit small."

"But it's supposed to be small," She sighs and folds the dress back up to shove it into her case again, "I don't even know why I've kept it. It's ridiculous, you're right."

"No, I just said it's small," I look up at her, "I just…well, I wouldn't want anyone else seeing you in that. But, uh, if you really like it, you should keep it. Wear it to dinner tonight, I don't know."

"Oh, you wouldn't like other people to see me in something so…_alluring_, eh, Doctor?" Rose waggles her eyebrows, "Well, well, look who's jealous now."

"No, no," I wave my hands in protest, "I'm just saying that that is a lot of exposed skin. I just feel perhaps…some _modesty_ would be more appropriate. Or something along those lines."

"I've worn it before, you know. And I thought it looked rather fetching," Rose folds another item before she says; "Jake thought it looked good too. That's why he bought it for me."

The shirt in my hands drops to the floor as I stare across the bed at Rose in astonishment. "Some…a _man_ bought that dress for you? _Jake_? Who the bloody hell is _Jake_?"

"You've met him. Remember?" Rose motions with her hands, "Blonde, spikey hair? Worked with _Ricky_, the other Mickey? He helped save us from the Cyber-men, remember?"

I rack my brain, and an image comes to mind. I cross my arms, "Yeah. Yes. I remember. Teeny man with a weird face, kind of an American-ized thing going for him. Aye, I remember _Jake_."

"As I recall, you _liked_ him," Rose points out. She folds a few more items of clothing, and I notice a certain pep in her movements.

"You…you're enjoying this, aren't you?" I accuse, leaning forward over my case, "What, were you and Jake…_dating_?"

"What? No!" Rose shakes her head, "No, no. He was a friend. Is a friend. He's been a really good friend, especially when I needed one the most."

"Right, right," I take a seat on the bed, "The kind of good friend you receive sexy dresses from?"

Rose sits down beside me, a grin on her face, "Oh, so you think it's _sexy_."

"Oh, blimey, Rose, you know it's a sexy, teensy, tiny dress meant for sexy times with a bloke. Why would he buy you something like that, then, eh?" I scoot closer to her, trying to keep my tone light, but I know all I sound like is a jealous idiot.

Rose moves closer, crossing her legs over the comforter, and shrugs. "We're really close. And he, well, we were having a Christmas party. At work, at the Torchwood HQ. I didn't want to go. I had been working there a year, and all I could think about, all I had time for, was…getting back to you," her eyes find mine, and I can see the insecurity there as she continues, "I didn't want to go to a party. To pretend to have a good time and fake a smile. I was just going to sit home, do some paperwork. I don't know."

She nuzzles into the pillows and looks up at the ceiling, "But Jake, he wanted me to get out there. _'Stop living your life as if you're already dead,'_ he said, '_you've got to let loose and have fun every once in a while.'_ Otherwise, what would be the point? That's how he put it," a smile finds her lips and she looks over at me, "So he went out, bought a dress, and took me as his date. Not as a real date, but so I wouldn't be alone and on my own. He really took care of me, Doctor. When I wouldn't let anyone else in, he could get through to me."

I sit back against the pillow beside her, and I slowly wrap my arm around her shoulders. She leans into me, and I sigh a little. "I'm glad you had a friend. I really am."

Rose nods; "I don't know where I'd have been without someone there to talk to…" her arms warp around my middle, and she scoots closer, "It was hard without you. The way we left it…I mean, you didn't even…and I was alone. I only had Mum and, and she was starting a new family. Mickey tried, but he just wanted to move on. Who could blame him? But I couldn't. I _couldn't_. I needed to find you. You…you needed me."

"I needed you," I whisper into her hair, wrapping my other arm around her, "I did. I needed you beside me. I wanted you, Rose, only you. Forever."

"What did you do? Where you alone? Where did you go?" Rose pulls away just enough so she can see my face. I notice a tear gathered at the corner of her eye, and I brush it away with the pad of my thumb before I answer her question.

"I _was_ alone. For a while. I met Donna the day we said goodbye, and she…she made it a little hard, at first. Then I met Martha a little while later. I…I didn't really _see_ Martha, though. She…well, she loved me, I suppose," My hand runs up and down Rose's arm slowly, "but I only saw the absence of you. Martha tried, and succeeded, to be brave and strong and brilliant. In the end, though, she…she needed someone who could love her back."

I feel Rose's fingers tracing patterns into my chest. I meet her eyes and smile, "I thought about you all the time. Even when it hurt the most, you were always in my mind, in my heart."

Rose lifts her face and kisses me softly. She pulls away and looks deep into my eyes.

"I love you." Her voice is strong, and her eyes are clear.

I pull her close and kiss her deep and true. My hands roam her back and my lips claim hers for eternity. I don't want her to be alone anymore. I don't want to be alone anymore.

She pulls away, "Doctor," I kiss her lips, trying to silence her. I need her, I need her like air. "Doctor," she murmurs against my lips again, "Doc…tor," her hands find my face and she kisses me fiercely, her lips and tongue tangling with mine. I moan against her as she pushes me further into the pillows. I reach for her face, trying to hold her to me forever, but she pulls away quickly, "Doctor!"

I open my eyes in surprise. "Rose!" I exclaim in confusion.

"Doctor, I need to say something," Rose takes a deep breath, her hands trailing down my neck as she steadies herself. "I, I have to say one thing. I love you, Doctor. You, the human-Time-Lord-metacrisis. I love the other Doctor, too. But you, Doctor, you right here," She rests her forehead against mine, closing her eyes, "You have my heart, Doctor. You have all of me, forever."

I steal a quick kiss and nod against her, my nose brushing her cheek. "Thank you. Oh, Rose," I try to kiss her again, with the intent of never releasing her lips again, but she sits back with a smile on playing on her mouth.

"We have some things we need to do, Doctor," She slides off the bed and continues folding her clothes. I watch her for a moment, appraising her ruffled hair, swollen lips, and flushed cheeks. Rose looks over at me and grins, "What are you staring at?"

"The most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Oh, shut up," She throws a shirt at me, and I play dead for a moment, making her laugh, "Oh, Doctor. Get off your arse and finish packing. Then, we can go to dinner."

"Maybe we should call room service," I suggest, hopping off the bed and onto the floor to finish my chore. I waggle my eyebrows at her, "Then we won't have to worry about getting dressed."

"Doctor!" Rose giggles, "Blimey, what has gotten into you?"

I shrug and try folding a shirt, but I'm too distracted. I start shoving clothes into my suitcase, damned the folding. I slam my suitcase shut and look over at Rose with a large smile enveloping my face, "I just love you, Rose. I always have. And I always will."

* * *

_**What did you think? You should be prepared, the rating may go up in future chapters, but we won't be entering M territory. We'll learn a bit more about Rose's time spent alone in Pete's World in the future, but what do you think about her past so far? Let me know if there is anything you'd like to see from our babies in the chapters soon to come! Review if you can! Here we go!_


	7. Chapter 7

_About this chapter: SORRY IT'S BEEN FOREVER SINCE MY LAST UPDATE. Now that that's out of the way. Here are Rose and the Doctor, now in Rome. I'm speeding up their trip, because I just want to see them back home again (and I know you do too, probably), but there are a few more things that need to happen before we arrive back in London. Next chapter is Amsterdam, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here's a bit of a Roman adventure, please let me know what you think. I welcome reviews and suggestions! This is just a story to fill the whole this sailing ship left in my fangirl heart. Hopefully you enjoy. I'll be adding new chapters sporadically, but often!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to BBC and Doctor who._

* * *

The Doctor and I arrive in Rome with endless smiles stuck on our faces. Everything is rose-colored, and nothing hurts. Our train ride was pleasant, and the Doctor had a lot of fun taking apart the engineer room when no one was looking. "Look at this! Rose, Rose, come and see!" He kept saying, and I would come to look at whatever part was so interesting, knowing absolutely nothing about it except that it made him so happy. We found our hotel without any fuss, unpacked our bags, and set out into the city.

As we stroll through the streets, the Doctor's hand securely in my grasp, we begin popping into shops to see what's for sale.

"Ooh, Rose, look, it's a fish shop. We could buy some fish!" His voice full of excitement, he pulled us inside.

"Doctor, we have no way of cooking the fish," I point out, "Unless you want some strange Roman sushi, we'd best move on."

"Oh, alright, you're right." He pulls us back to the street and into another shop. "Rose, look! Look, look, pottery! We could get a vase to send back to your mother!"

I pick up a delicate clay vase and turn it over, enraptured by the tiny flowers carved gently into the pottery. "That is a lovely idea, Doctor. Yes, hello," I set the vase in my hand down in front of the older woman running the shop; "We'd like this please. And, sorry, is there a post office nearby?"

"Yes, ma'am, two streets over," the older woman smiles and glances between the Doctor and I before holding out her hand, "Two pence, ma'am."

"Wait, wait," the Doctor fishes into his jacket, "I've got it, I've got it. Ah, here," he places the money into the woman's open palm.

"You are a lovely couple," the woman states, places the money in her pocket, "Are you married?"

"No, no," I shake my head, a smile on my lips, and place the vase gently into my knapsack, "Not married, no. But we are…together, yes."

"I could tell," the older woman sits back, folding her hands in her lap, "I have been married many years, I have been working in this shop even longer, and I know the look of love when I see it. And you two, you are in love."

"Yes," the Doctor states, his voice full of enthusiasm, "We are both in love. With each other. Together, yes."

"I'm Rose Tyler," I hold my hand out and the woman shakes it, "And this handsome bloke is the Doctor."

"Doctor who?" She asks, shaking his hand.

"Wouldn't I like to know," the Doctor answers, a smile on his face, "And you are?"

"I am Portia," the woman smiles broadly, "You both seem like adventurers. Have you seen many things in the world?"

"Why, yes we've seen many things, Portia, we're professional adventurers," The Doctor agrees, playfully, "And how could you tell that?"

Portia shrugs, "It is in your eyes, sir. Doctor. Your eyes have seen many things, I can tell. You have both seen much. This is not your first time travelling together."

"And it isn't our last time, either," I interject, "We've seen many things. All over the universe, it seems. And we're not ready to slow down just yet."

"You keep travelling together, ma'am," Portia reaches forward, takes both the Doctor's and my hands, and laces them together in between her own, "that will keep your love strong. You will be very happy, I know. I've seen many couples, but you two—your love is real."

"Only someone truly in love can see that," the Doctor places his free hand on Portia's shoulder, "you and your husband are very lucky to have each other."

"Thank you, Doctor. I hope to see you both again."

"We'll be back again, before we leave," I promise, "And if our travels bring us back to Rome, we'll be sure to say hello."

"I will look forward to it, Rose and the Doctor. You both have a good time today."

The Doctor and I leave, waving to Portia as we walk further down the street, until we can no longer see the sign for her little shop. I squeeze the Doctor's hand, and nudge his arm with my shoulder. "Our love is real," I repeat grinning up at him.

"Yeah," he winks, leaning down to kiss my forehead, "alright. Where to, next?"

"Oh, I don't know. We're in Rome. What do the Romans do?"

"Drink a lot of wine, eat a load of food," The Doctor tugs me around a corner, "We could look for a restaurant. First, we'd better go find that post office and send that vase to your mum."

"You're right! I'd almost forgotten!"

"Allons-y, Rose Tyler!" He pulls us faster, and then we're running. I laugh loudly, and race to keep pace with him. We locate the post office two streets down from Portia's shop, and come to halt inside, catching our breath.

"The running," I pant out, "It's a bit more fun when something's chasing us."

The Doctor rolls his eyes with a smile, "Oh, right, nothing like impending doom to get the heart rate pumping."

I pack the vase into a small box, taking care to wrap it up with paper and bubble wrap as best I can to prevent any accidents. I scroll the address onto the box and wait in line to mail it. I reach the front and set my small box down on the scale.

"Thirteen fifty, ma'am," The mailman informs me. I pay him, and he gently places my package behind him atop a stack of pending mail.

The Doctor holds open the door for me, and I step through into the humid Italian air. I wrap my arm around the Doctor's waist, and his arm lies lazily across my shoulders, and we walk aimlessly down the street.

"So, how are we feeling? Are you hungry? Do you want to eat in?" The Doctor pulls me a little closer, "Or do you want to go on a little adventure with me?"

I nod briskly against his shoulder, "What kind of adventure did you have in mind?" I ask, excitement bubbling forth, "Let's go, where to, Doctor?"

"First, we'll need something to eat," He perks up, craning his head for a place to eat, "Ah, there's a place. Let's get something to-go."

We enter the small shop and order two meals, and the Doctor asks for them to be prepared in a travel box. We pay, take our food, and I let the Doctor lead us through town.

"I've got a spot," He says quietly, whispering into my ear as we stroll along, "A place I've only been to once, and only ever on my own. I don't know if it's still here, in this universe, but it wasn't very popular in the other one. We should be quite alone."

We come to the edge of town, and I can see the river a few hundred meters ahead. The Doctor takes us past a few large, historical buildings. This universe's Roman's had the same style of construction as the Roman's we've always known. They love columns, and white marble, and beautiful landscapes. But the Doctor by-passes the sites (which we plan on seeing in depth in the next few days anyway), and we reach a tall growth of trees and overgrown bushes which I can't see past.

"It's a bit different," The Doctor says, "But it's still fairly secluded," He pushes through some bushes, holding branches aside for me, and we step through to a small clearing, that sits just beside the flowing Tevere River, with the calming sunset falling behind the cityscape of Rome.

"Oh, my," I sigh, stepping through the bushes, my box of food in hand, "Oh, Doctor. This is…it's…Well, this is perfect!"

"I thought so, too," He slides out of his long leather jacket and lays it down on the ground, "Perfect for a picnic, wouldn't you say?"

I open my mouth to agree, but a shout stills us both.

"_HELP!"_

The Doctor drops his food and takes off, tearing through the undergrowth towards the person screaming. I follow him, throwing my take out to the ground and following the river downstream.

"_HELP US PLEASE!_" Just ahead of the Doctor stands a man in his forties, hollering and pointing, "_PLEASE SHE CAN'T SWIM!_"

The Doctor is in the water before I have reached them. I watch as he is taken down stream, and I follow him along the river's edge. The frightened man stands ahead of me, and he meets my gaze.

"My daughter! We were playing and she slipped!"

"It's alright, we'll get her, don't worry!" I promise, still rushing to keep up with the Doctor who is paddling quickly, "Stay with me, sir!"

The man follows me, and we rush forward. I spot something a few hundred meters ahead of the Doctor in the water. "DOCTOR! SHE'S UP AHEAD!"

I believe he hears me, because he picks up speed and swims faster than possible. The river is helping sweep him along, moving him closer and closer to the small child. I race to keep pace with him, trying to keep my eyes locked on the little girl's bobbing head.

The Doctor spots her and swims to the middle of the river to take her into his arms. The river continues pulling them downstream, and I frantically look for a way to pull them out.

"Miss, there is a tree upstream!"

"Let's move it!" I push my legs faster than they've ever run before. I tear forward along the river, passing the Doctor and the little girl, my eyes searching ahead.

"_THERE_," The man yells, and I hear him panting behind me, "_JUST AHEAD YOU SEE?_"

There is a large tree, with long branches dangling into the river. I reach for a thick, strong branch and pull it down close to the water's edge. "_Tell him to grab hold!_" I shout to the man.

He yells back to the Doctor, and I see the Doctor's eyes searching for something to hold onto. He sees me, then the branch, and reaches up a hand, his other arm wrapped tightly around the child. "Hold on, Doctor!" I scream, lowering the branch further to the ground.

His hand grips the branch and slips.

"_NO!_" I cry in horror.

But the Doctor pumps his legs, trying to fight his way upstream again. His force is no match for the river's strong current. He swims in place for a moment, and I try to push the branch closer to him but it's no use.

I watch as he takes a deep breath, and he lifts the small child and tosses her up and forward into the air. He is immediately swept away by the river, while the little girl grabs hold of the branch with both hands, half of her body still dragging in the river. Her father reaches forward, one arm wrapped around the tree branch I am still holding, and scoops the little girl up into a tight embrace before they fall backwards onto dry ground.

"Doctor!" I release the branch and run again, following the river once more. I can't see him. I keep running, pumping my legs hard. My eyes are searching, searching, but I see nothing but rushing waves. "_DOCTOR!"_

_"ROSE!"_

I follow his voice, rushing even faster down the river. I see him ahead, clinging to a rock on the opposite side of the river.

"DOCTOR HOLD ON!" I turn around and around, looking for something to toss him that will allow me to pull him across. "HOLD ON, HOLD ON!" I am in a small clearing, with no conveniently placed trees or vines or forgotten rope. "BLOODY HELL!" I tear my hands through my hair, "JUST HOLD ON!"

"I will!" He yells back, "I promise!"

I rush back toward the father and daughter. They have followed me down river, and we meet each other out of breath.

"Do…you…have…_a rope_?!"

"Here!" The man unties his belt and hands it to me, then reaches around his daughter's waist and unties the sash that ties her soaked shirt, "Take this. Run!"

I turn on my heal and race back to the Doctor, who still clings to the slippery rock. I tie the sash to the belt, and throw one end to the Doctor. He reaches for the make-shift rope and ties it around his arm clumsily, before taking hold with both hands. I secure my footing and begin pulling him to safety. My arms ache in protest, but I push through the pain. The Doctor reaches my side of the river, finds his footing, stands and rushes through the water towards me.

My arms wrap around his neck, and his arms wrap around my waist, and we collapse onto the ground, our bodies too exhausted to stay upright.

"Oh, you stupid idiot!" I moan into his sopping wet shirt, "You stupid, stupid Time Lord! You foolish, lovely, ridiculous man!"

He breathes heavily, trying to catch his breath. His hands hold me closer to him, and I feel his body shiver through his wet attire. "Oh, hush up. I saved her, didn't I?"

Too tired to lift up, I slide forward and plant a kiss on his chin. "Yes, you saved her, you brilliant idiot. And nearly died yourself!"

"Oh, I wouldn't have died. Just would have gone downstream a bit until I was caught by some local fishermen or something," His words are teasing, but his grip tells me the truth of the matter. He holds me so tightly I can hardly breathe, but I am holding him just as securely. We both know that one was a bit too close of a call.

I hear the approach of someone, and I roll over off the Doctor's chest and onto my back to see who is coming. It is the man, his daughter wrapped up in his arms.

"Thank you, thank you," He cries, his voice full of appreciation, "You are wonderful, you are. Please, come to my home. I will make you a meal, and fetch you dry clothes. All in thanks for you saving my daughter's life."

I sit up, feeling a strong ache in my legs and back. "Oh, sir, that would be fantastic," I turn my gaze to the Doctor, "You need to get dry before you catch cold."

"You're right," the Doctor shivers violently; "I'm freezing. A warm meal would be wonderful, sir. Bless you."

* * *

Rodrigo, the man, and his daughter, Isabelle, prepared the Doctor and myself a lovely, warm meal in their quaint house just a mile from the river. As we made way to their humble abode we retrieved the Doctor's jacket from the riverside, but upon arriving the Doctor was given some extra clothes whilst his were hung to dry.

The four of us eat in the sitting room, sharing in conversation. The Doctor and I learn that Rodrigo's wife, Mariela, passed on when Isabelle was just a baby. Isabelle is in school, and has learned quite a lot about marine life, which seems to be her passion. Isabelle and her father visit the river every day, and usually the river isn't as strong. But with the season's changing, the current was stronger than either Isabelle or Rodrigo thought, until Isabelle was swept up into it.

"We were walking the shore, collecting shells and rocks," Rodrigo explains, "And Isabelle was skipping along the rocky shore, just as always. But then she slipped, and I was in a panic. I'd never seen the river take something so quickly. One second there, the next gone! I really cannot express my gratitude enough, Doctor. You and Rose are real heroes!"

The Doctor smiles and shrugs his shoulders, "All in a day's work. And all you have done for us, Rodrigo, this is thanks enough."

"Yes, Rodrigo, the meal was wonderful," I set my empty bowl down and nudge the Doctor gently with my knee, "But we had really better be going. But could we see you again sometime? Tomorrow, while we're sight-seeing, maybe?"

"Oh, Daddy!" Isabelle gripped her father's sleeve, "Please, we could be their tour guides!"

Rodrigo gives his daughter a happy smile, and nods assent, "Yes. I think that would be splendid."

The Doctor stands, "Then it's settled!" Everyone rises to their feet, and the Doctor takes Rodrigo's hand and shakes it vigorously, "We'll see you both tomorrow for another exciting adventure. Ah, and, where are my clothes?"

I take one last appraising glance at the Doctor as Rodrigo takes him to his dry jeans and shirt. Rodrigo's baggy sweats leave the Doctor's slim frame swimming, and he looks like a child playing dress up in his father's jammies.

I feel a hand on my arm, and I look down to find Isabelle beside me, a small smile on her face.

"What is it, Isabelle?"

"Rose, are you and the Doctor in love?"

I blush fiercely, and look back to make sure we're not being spied on. I meet Isabelle's gaze and nod a little, "Yes. We are in love."

"Oh, I've never been in love before," She says, her voice full of whimsy, "I know Daddy loved Mama. I hope I can love someone, too."

I lean down to her level, "Isabelle, you'll find someone someday who loves you very much. I know it. But you won't find them by wishing. You'll find them by going on adventures, by learning new things. You're still young, so maybe it's a bit early to be in love, but when you're ready, you'll find it. I know you will."

"And we'll be happy and go on lots of adventures, just like you and the Doctor." Isabelle grins up at me, and I can't hold back my smile.

We both turn to the doors as we hear the men enter once more. The Doctor is back in his jeans and shirt, his leather jacket slung over his arm. "I think we're ready. Rose?"

"Aye," I pull Isabelle in for a hug, "I'll see you tomorrow."

I wave to Rodrigo and Isabelle as the Doctor and I walk down the street. I wave until I can no longer see the house, and then I turn into the Doctor, wrapping my arms around his middle.

His arm finds its way around my shoulder, and he pulls me closer as we amble towards town.

"They are a sweet family," The Doctor murmurs, "And they're quite happy, aren't they?"

"Yeah," I squeeze him tight, "I'm glad they have each other."

The Doctor rubs circles into my arm and tugs me impossibly closer, "Me, too."

We make it back to our hotel and head straight for our room. This hotel is much more modest than that of the Paris ordeal. The room is spacious, without being ostentatious, equipped with a small fridge, a large king-sized bed, and two small love seats.

"Alright, I'm going to get ready for bed," The Doctor pulls out some pajamas and makes for the bathroom, but then he stops and grabs one last thing from the dresser. He holds it up, "What do you think? Is it about time, then, eh?"

I look over and see he is holding his electric razor. I laugh aloud, shaking my head, "Oh, Doctor."

"Is that a no? Do you like it? Should I let it grow down to my chest?" The Doctor runs his fingers through the scruff growing along his neck and face, "I didn't realize it would grow so much if left unkempt. All this humany-wumany nonsense is ridiculous."

I furrow my brow, "Humany-wumany? Really?"

"I'm shaving it," He states, by way of reply, "I'm tired of feeling like a homeless man. And it feels a bit mangy since that tumble in the river. I'll be back in a mo.'"

I dress in the room, throwing on shorts and a t-shirt. As I'm folding my clothes I listen to the electric buzz of the Doctor's razor. It's kind of soothing, and it reminds me of the gentle hum of the Tardis in flight. Though, not really, because nothing can replicate that exact noise.

As I sit down on my side of the bed, I hear the bathroom door open behind me and turn to appraise my Doctor's clean-shaven face.

He has a wild grin on his fresh, hair-free face. He pats his cheeks and then holds his arms out, gives me a little twirl. "What do you think? A nice change, then, eh? Nice and smooth; like a baby's bottom."

"Oh, yes, let's compare your face to a child's arse," I lean across the bed and lift my face, waiting. He bounds closer and leans in, giving me a kiss. "Mm," I pull away, thinking, "No, it's nice. And you're right; your face is like a baby's arse."

The Doctor rolls his eyes and flops down onto the bed. "I said baby's _bottom_."

"Alright. Enough about bums," I lean down beside him, resting my hand on his shoulder, "I like your facial hair," I murmur, running my hand up his chest.

"What?" The Doctor lifts up to look into my face, his expression appalling, "Why didn't you say something? I didn't have to shave if you really liked it."

"Did you want a shave?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't have to!"

"I don't mean I wanted you to _keep_ it. I just mean that, well," I touch his cheek, run my thumb along his cheekbone, "I like all the…_humany-wumany_ things about you. That's all."

He gives me a grin, "Do you think the beard makes me look a bit more…_devilishly handsome_?"

I roll my eyes dramatically which makes him giggle. "Doctor, I think you look handsome all the time. Even in Rodrigo's baggy sweat suit."

The Doctor wraps his arms around my middle and pulls me close, "Well, I'll just have to buy my own pair of sweats, then. Tomorrow I'll ask Rodrigo what size he buys."

"Mm, that'll be quite the sight," My hands tangle in his hair and I pull his face closer to mine, "I do love a man in a sweat suit. I could barely keep my hands off of you tonight. If Isabelle hadn't been present, who knows what I would have done to you."

The Doctor chuckles low in his throat, "Had I known that I would have worn one every time we were alone on the Tardis."

His statement floors me, and I freeze. He senses my change and pulls back, his expression questioning.

"You mean you thought about that kind of stuff? When we were together on the Tardis, I mean. You thought about…_this_?" I run my fingers though his hair, my eyes locked on his. The Doctor gulps, then nods his head minutely. "But, what…why didn't you ever do anything? Say anything?"

The Doctor sighs and looks away from me, "Rose…"

I sit still in his arms, waiting.

He looks around the room, and then meets my gaze, "Rose I…I couldn't. You were so young, and impressionable," I raise my eyebrow and he rolls his eyes, "Alright, well, even if you don't believe it it's true. And, besides that, Rose, I was too old. I'd lived too long. I have done…terrible things. Too terrible and too unspeakable. I didn't…" His hand finds my face, and his fingers brush across my cheek, outline my lips, "I didn't deserve to be with you, Rose. I didn't even deserve your attention, but you stuck around anyway. It was selfish enough asking you to come along with me. I couldn't ask you for anything else."

"But I…" I look away, now it's my turn to feel embarrassed, and I speak to his chest, "I would have been…willing enough."

His loud guffaw shakes the bed, and my eyes find his. "Oh, Rose. You are so precious."

"Oi! Shut up!" I reach a hand back and smack him in the arm, "What do you mean by that?"

"I was protecting you," the Doctor leans forward to touch his forehead to mine, "From the demons that lie in my wake. I always knew you were strong enough for them. You are the strongest, brightest, most brilliant woman I've ever met. Honest. And I've known loads of brilliant women," He pulls back to flash me a smile before growing stoic, "But I wasn't ready to let you bear that burden. I didn't want you to bare the load of my…_guilt_ when I knew one day, be it by choice or no, you would have to leave me."

I contemplate his words while my fingers trace patterns into his shirt. I watch his eyes droop and his head lull whilst I'm thinking and I smirk a little despite myself. As I come to a conclusion, I still my hands. That is all I need to do to capture his attention. His eyes open wide and lock onto mine.

"So, what you're saying is that you were protecting yourself?"

"What?" He pulls upright in surprise, his expression aghast.

"You never wanted to open up because you knew one day I would leave, or die. You were afraid it would…hurt too much, yeah? Because I will accept any part of yourself you want to share with me, Doctor. The demons, the angels, the monsters and all. And you've always known that, haven't you?" I take his face in my hands, and really look into his dark, fathomless eyes that once were clear blue, "You've always known that I would be capable of loving you whole-heartedly. So you always tried to push me away, right? Always tried to keep _yourself_ away, yeah?"

By his total lack of movement, I judge I've floored him this time. I wait for him to speak, but he doesn't, so I proceed; "You tried to send me away so many times. You were always ready to say goodbye, always looking for a way to send me off. First at Bad Wolf, then Canary Warf. Always, _always_ trying to send me off to a normal life. But I never let you," I lean up and kiss his cheek, "because I'm here, Doctor. I'm _right here_. And you're never gonna get rid of me. Maybe it took you becoming part-human, but you're stuck with me now, eh?"

The Doctor leans in close, his lips capturing mine. For a long time, we don't speak, and the only sounds are shared breaths and the rustle of fabric. He breaks away to look at me, and I have a big stupid grin on my face when he does, but his eyes have a spark I've only seen on rare occasions before. His nose brushes mine as he murmurs, "Stuck with you, that's not so bad."

We spend the rest of the night in each other's arms. We fit together perfectly.

* * *

_**I hope you liked this one! I made you wait a little bit for it, and I'm sorry it doesn't have more! I feel like I'm not giving you enough action, but there's a lot I feel these two need to hash out before anything really amazing can happen. Let me know your thoughts, and if you have suggestions let 'em fly! NOW ONWARD TO THE NEXT UPDATE (which will be faster than the last, promise)_


End file.
